Bridgewater Review

Volume 21 | Issue 1 Article 9

Jun-2002 Becoming Ndebele: The ecorD ated Homes of Brenda Molife Bridgewater State College, [email protected]

Recommended Citation Molife, Brenda (2002). Becoming Ndebele: The eD corated Homes of Matabeleland. Bridgewater Review, 21(1), 15-20. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol21/iss1/9

This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Becoming Ndebele: The Decorated Homes of Matabeleland

by Brenda Molife

I was born in and lived there until I was three, at which time my family moved to the United States, the country of my mother’s birth. My father was born and raised in , and a large number of our relatives still live there in the capitol city of . In 1990, I went to visit these relatives, and a few days before I returned to the

Left, Band motif

States I decided to pay a trip to . I rented a pick-up truck, loaded the cab with all my touristy gear, and began driving cross country. It was mid-December, the peak of Zimbabwe’s rainy season, although a was in progress, and it had not rained for over a year. The parched earth was cracked and sandy brown. Withered plants dotted the landscape, their sparse leaves being nibbled by emaciated goats. By the time I neared my destination, five dreary hours later, the seemed devoid of beauty. And then I saw a flower. It was painted on the side of a house. It was a remarkably striking thing to see in such a barren environment. Who had painted it, I wondered, and why?

BRIDGEWATER REVIEW JUNE 2002 15 BECOMING NDEBELE BRENDA MOLIFE see two- and three-year-olds huddledquietlybeneatha andthree-year-olds see two- tually frombirth.Itisnotuncommon, forinstance,to thistradition;rather,learn vir- sheisunderinstruction There isneverasinglemomentwhengirlbeginsto fromhermother. thisartform females, andagirllearns Nebele mural. house paintingtraditionknownastheZimbabwe called Matabelelandandisthehomeofremarkable population andresidemainlyinthewest,whichis ethnic groupistheNdebele.Theymake up16%ofthe east inwhatiscalledMashonaland.Thesecondlargest who comprise71%ofthepopulationandlivein turally andnumericallydominantgroupistheShona, are theVenda, Kalanga,andTonga. However, thecul- Europeans andAsians.Amongtheindigenouspeoples numberof including asmallbuteconomicallypowerful mately elevenmillionconsistsofseveralethnicgroups, and Chipangali.Zimbabwe’spopulationofapproxi- suchasHwange are severalwell-knowngamereserves, Zimbabwe, andforVictoria Falls. Throughouttheland mostnotablyGreat known foritsstoneruins, is drive. Thecountry within afewhours’ mountainous regionsall savanna grasslandsand semi-arid conditions, diverse. You canfind geography isextremely of Montana,andits approximately thesize east. Zimbabweis tothe the north,and to thewest,Zambia andNamibia tothesouth, borders withSouth Zimbabwe sharesits halfofAfrica, ern Located inthesouth- the answers. tire later, Ihadobtained andoneflat interviews, tographs, twohundred dred miles,500pho- mind, andfifteenhun- and otherquestionsin Zimbabwe withthese to Ireturned In 1996, Ndebele muralsarepaintedalmostexclusively by Left, Step motif. Directly below, Plant motif. Bottom, Geometric motif.

mango tree, attentively watching their mother trans- form a dull brown house into a thing of beauty. You may, on any given day, see an eight-year-old helping stir a container of paint. Or you may encounter a ten-year- old sketching in the sand, practicing the designs she would have seen her mother paint countless times before. With this kind of on-going training, it is no wonder that, by the age of eleven, a girl will be a com- petent muralist. And in all probability, by the time she turns twelve, she will have been delegated the responsi- bility of decorating an entire compound.

A young girl just assuming this responsibility will often imitate her mother’s designs, but it will not be long before she decides to test her own creative wings. When she has a new idea for a mural, she will sketch it for her mother, and only after it has been approved can its likeness be applied to a wall. In school, she is exposed to a wider range of design possibilities; many girls told me they got their ideas for designs from books and mag- azines they saw at school. Other girls credited their powers of imagination. But regardless of a girl’s source of inspiration, and no matter what creative prowess she may possess, she will not have total freedom of expres- sion until she marries and moves to her own home.

BRIDGEWATER REVIEW JUNE 2002 17 BECOMING NDEBELE BRENDA MOLIFE damaged within a few days. Since December’s murals damaged withinafewdays.Since December’s rated withsoil-basedpaintsduring thistimewillbe when therainyseasonisinfull swing;anythingdeco- celebrate Christmas.Unfortunately, Decemberisalso sentable inDecemberwhenfamily andfriendsvisitto The artistswanttheirhomestolookespeciallypre- from AprilthroughOctober)andagaininDecember. season(roughly Most womenpaintonceinthedry The Ndebelegenerallypainttheirhomestwiceayear. has beenfrayed. orasmallstickwhosetip suchasatoothbrush brush, actual muralispaintedbyhandandwithahomemade tactility torakingone’shandoverroughsandpaper. The is smearedontothewallbyhand.Thisactsimilarin of peasoup,debrisisextracted. Thefirstcoat,orprimer, After soilandwaterhavebeenmixed toaconsistency mule andcart. some womenarefortunateenoughtomake useofa load bybalancingthecontainersontheirheads,though weigh fiftypoundsormore.Thewomenmanagethe is back-breakingwork,asthefilledcontainersoften her containerwithsubsoil.Transporting thesoilhome color soilshedesires,skimsoffthetopsoilandfills atanareathatcontainsthe When awomanarrives women cannotaffordsuchaluxury. majorityof is fortydollars,theoverwhelming region oftheworldwhereaverageyearlyincome white thanwhatsoilorashcanprovide.Butina whitepaintbecausetheywantabrighter acrylic A handfulofwomenstatedthattheypurchase ant hills. white fromtheinnersoilof obtain reddishbrownand of theriverbed.Women also pink justbeneaththesurface Lupane onecanfindthecolor mine, andnearthetownof from anabandonedgold yellow soilcanbeobtained small towncalledGwanda, beige, andkhaki.Neara orange, black,brown,rust, The soil’shuesincludered, which tomake thepaint. the desiredsoilcolorfrom long distancesinsearchof A muralistwilloftenwalk Animal motif. Plant motif. Above, Right, mortars. Ibelievethatthesemurals arenolongerinuse wooden plates,claypotsandwomen poundinggrainin painted. Theseincludedimagesofcalabashes,baskets, only onthewallsofkitchensbutwhicharenolonger Other oralsourcesdescribedmuralsthatwerefound (mountain orhill),isayobe(spider),andilanga(sun). which arenowrare.Theywerewhatshecalledintaba three motifsthatwerecommonwhenshewasagirlbut Mrs. Dube,aseventy-six-year oldartist,toldmeabout motifs. depending upontheelaboratenessofdesignsand and out,inaboutaday. Thattimewillvary, ofcourse, A skilledmuralistcanpaintasinglebuilding,inside tors, andneighborsoftengather. interior, asthisistheplacewherefamily, friends,visi- of homes.Thekitchenisthemostcommonlydecorated Murals arefoundontheexterior aswelltheinterior year, somewomenpaintagaininearlyJanuary. will notbeinpristineconditiontobringthenew because, as -related utensils and/or activities, Understanding the importance of marriage is crucial their function was to distinguish the kitchen from to understanding one of the prime motivations behind other structures in the compound, all of which were cir- this art form. For instance, in the unlikely event that a cular. When the Ndebele began using Western-style fur- woman does not marry, she will have to find employ- niture, such as bed frames and dressers, they changed ment in order to support herself, thereby abandoning the shape of the bedrooms to accommodate these rec- her expected role of being occupied solely with house- tangular forms. The kitchen is now generally the only hold affairs. While that role has been loosened from the remaining circular structure, and, as such, it need not hinges of tradition in the urban areas, it remains firmly be identified by a specific mural. This, of course, implies secure in the rural areas, where the murals are painted. that the sole function of these murals was one of identi- fication, and while I do not necessarily believe that to Once a woman is married, her motivation for painting be true, I can think of only one other reason for their will remain driven, in part, by social forces. Now she having become obsolete; they are simply no longer in will paint, for instance, because her mother-in-law will vogue. expect it. What’s more, the painting competence of the new bride will play a role in the mother-in-law’s assess- Today, the most popular motifs are what I call “band,” ment of her son’s spouse. This is one reason why new “step,” “geometric,” and “plant.” These motifs provide wives who immigrate from communities that do not the platform from which women launch their artistic paint are eager to learn this tradition. In addition, the expressions, and the styles created range from the mini- immigrant bride will be expected to assimilate into her malist to the baroque. new community by adopting the local customs, or, as artist Mongiwe Ncube put it, by “becoming Ndebele.” The rainy season of 1996-97 was particularly brutal. Beginning in November, when the first raindrops fell, “Becoming Ndebele” by painting murals is a phenome- hardly a week passed during the subsequent four non I first encountered in 1995. While surveying months that did not bring heavy precipitation. As a Matabeleland and the surrounding areas, I noted that result, a great number of homes went unpainted there were murals among neighboring ethnic groups, during this time. Nevertheless, I met many women such as the Kalanga and Nambya. Yet when I asked who painted in spite of the rain. These women paint these muralists about their ethnicity, an interesting so regularly in the face of so many obstacles, including picture began to develop. A few of the women consid- drought, , and illness, that it was no surprise ered themselves Ndebele, and they did so despite their to learn that there was much more at work here than knowledge that both of their parents were of entirely solely aesthetics. different ethnic groups. In 1996-97, I heard similar sen- timents expressed. One woman, Mrs. Nyoni, proudly One of the reasons why women paint murals is to gar- stated, “When I was Shona and lived in , ner respect. Artist Colina Ndlovu, for example, whose I did not paint. But now that I live here and paint my house you see decorated with the plant motif on page house, I am Ndebele.” 17, said, “That’s the whole idea, because a beautiful home is respectable. If a woman has made her home Along with the general desire for ethnic assimilation, beautiful, then she will be respected more.” Many other there are important personal reasons for painting. One women gave similar responses, some saying that, when of these is the need to be recognized and appreciated. they were growing up, their mothers urged them to Women in this culture do not have a public arena in paint because that was a way of attracting the right which to express themselves, and the murals allow kind of suitor. As muralist Jane Mhlapa explained, “A women to present themselves to the world, that is to man who admires a woman’s hard work will make a show their worth as wives, as mothers, as neighbors better husband than one who doesn’t notice.” The and/or as members of the community. For instance, a desire for marriage in this culture is so great, however, woman who is a good painter is, by extension, consid- that even if the “better man” does not materialize, then ered a good person, and here the word “good” does not a “less than better man” will simply have to do. necessarily mean “talented” but rather conscientious, careful, dutiful, and so forth. Also, a married woman that in showing she is taking good care of her

BRIDGEWATER REVIEW JUNE 2002 19 BECOMING NDEBELE BRENDA MOLIFE mere suggestion. atthe had not,andsomeexpressed absolute horror they hadeverpaintedmurals, insistedthatthey grandmothers decorate.When Iasked thesemenif things aschildrenwhilewatching theirmothersand these was thebesttimetopaint.Theyhadlearned available inthearea,howtomixpaints,andwhen where thebestsoilscouldbefound,whatcolorswere experts onthesubjectofmuralpainting.Theyknew seemedtobegenuine A fewofthemenIinterviewed such awoman. single menoftenstatedthattheywouldnevermarry women whodonotdecoratetheirhomes.Younger, paint. Menalsoexpressed negativesentimentsabout howto them tosendtheirwiveshiswifelearn other men,nottoteasethembutratherencourage me thathelikes totalkabouthiswife’spaintings sound evidenceoftheirownsuperiority. Onemantold have chosensuperiorwomen,which,themenadd,is known forspectaculardesignsjokinglyboastthatthey are notgoodpainters,whilemenwhosewives In aword:plenty. Menoftenteasemenwhosewives What doNdebelemenhavetosayaboutthemurals? they asked, undersuchcircumstances? been tossedintodespairanddisarray. Whocanpaint, liveshave ing scoresofpeople,andthatthesurvivors’ spoke aboutAIDS,tellingmehowthediseaseisclaim- the incessantdemandsonawoman’stime.Andothers women citedtheheavyrains.Afewcomplainedabout wanted metoknowwhytheyhadnotpainted.Some compounds. Allofthem,perhapsbywayapology, bythestateoftheir visibly saddenedandembarrassed met afewofthesestigmatizedwomen,andtheywere them werecalledsuchthingsaslazyandunkempt. I toaseye-sores,andthewomenwhoowned referred were notpainted.Theseunpaintedhomes Ndebele womenpaint,Isawanumberofhomesthat Nonetheless, despiteallthereasonslistedhereforwhy up withtheJoneses. better thantheirs.Inotherwords,theywerekeeping pose; theysimplydidnotwantotherhomestolook tion andwhopaintedforasomewhatlessnoblepur- were somewomen,however, whofeltnosuchobliga- been passeddownfromgenerationtogeneration.There duty-bound tocontinuetheartisticpracticesthathave cited reasonforpainting.Manywomenfeltpersonally The desiretoupholdtraditionwasalsoacommonly that their“voices” beheardandtheiractionsseen. women’s senseofpride,aswelltotheirinsistence family. Thisreasoningspeaksvolumestothese house, sheisshowingthattakinggoodcareofher form onwhichtoexpress somuch innerpride. form paint becausedoingsogivesthemavoice,anouterplat- possible suitors.And,perhapsmostimportant,they because theyarecreative.Theypainttoattractthebest They paintbecausetheyareindustrious. paint forprofit;theybecauseareNdebele. home whilewediscussedthem.Thesewomendonot from themurals,butratherhowtomake mefeelat spoke, thequestionwasneverhowtomake money many. For thevastmajority ofartistswithwhomI oftourism,however,The longarm canonlyreachso what hefeltwouldbemoreappealingtotourists. the traditionalmotifs,womenexplained, infavorof employedbythegiftshop.Hehadforgone wood carver that amanhadpaintedthemuralsandhewas woman whohadpaintedthemurals.Iwasinformed purchase anything,butrathertospeakwiththe beads andbaskets, Iexplained thatIwasnotthereto ofitemsforsale.Knee-deepinbowls, astonishing array I barelyhadtimetositbeforetheyproducedan thewomen, I stoppedatoneofthehomestointerview from woodandsellingthepark’sgiftshop.When they closelyresembledthosethatmenwerecarving subjectswereelephantsandgiraffes, The primary ed withimagesofwildlife(animalmotifonpage18). however, Inoticedthatsomeofthehomeswerepaint- WhenIvisitedin1996-97, plant andgeometricmotifs. that time,thehomesweredecoratedwithband,step, inthisarea.At1995, Iconductedseveralinterviews ties andisafavoritedestinationofforeigntourists.In thatbordersmanyNdebelecommuni- a gamereserve man. ItwaslocatedjustoutsideMatoboNationalPark, I cameacrossonlyoneothercompoundpaintedbya home. they admiredhisdecorationsandtheneatnessof anddivorcedseveraltimes, the factthathehadmarried of him.Whiletheydisapprovedhislifestyle,namely asking womeninhiscommunitywhattheythought that Iwouldnevermeetthismalemuralist,settledfor during anyofmysubsequentvisits.Whenitwasclear ately, theownerwasnotathome.Norhehome painted. Infact,helivedjustdowntheroad.Unfortun- saidthatsheknewofamanwho was interviewing weeks beforemyresearchwascomplete,awomanI I wastoldthatnosuchmanexisted. Andthen,just but forthefirstseveralmonthsthatIwasinfield, acceptable ifamandiddecidetobecomemuralist, Women, however, acknowledgedthatitwouldbe —Brenda MolifeisAssistantProfessor ofArt