The Latitudes Podcast featuring Zizipho Poswa
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Powered by: iTOO Artinsure
Supported by: BASA
Co-curated by: Art School Africa
Hosted by: Refiloe Mpakanyane
I believe my dreams are not random. They come with purpose. If I don't receive a vision, there is no work. I’m just a vessel - my ancestors are guiding everything. – Zizipho Poswa
Zizipho Poswa: Sculpting Legacy, Rooted in Ancestry
In this moving conversation, Cape Town-based sculptural ceramicist Zizipho Poswa joins Refiloe Mpakanyane to share the personal, cultural and spiritual underpinnings of her extraordinary art practice.
Known for her monumental ceramic and bronze sculptures celebrating African womanhood, Poswa opens up about her rural Eastern Cape upbringing, the powerful women who shaped her, and the ancestral callings that fuel her creative vision. From co-founding Imiso Ceramics with almost no capital, to exhibiting at global institutions like LACMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Poswa reflects on her path with humility, purpose and fire.
It’s important that the next generation sees our work without having to take a plane to New York. If we can’t build museums, we’ll collect and preserve it ourselves - for home, for the continent. - Zizipho Poswa
She and Refiloe unpack her creative rituals, her career-defining partnership with Southern Guild, and the tension between craft and fine art - as well as the urgent need to preserve work on the continent so future generations don’t have to fly to foreign museums to see themselves reflected in art.
This not-to-be-missed conversation incorporates personal history, creative entrepreneurship, cultural pride and legacy-building.
Highlights include:
How Zizipho Poswa's mother's belief laid the foundation for her artistic journey
Founding Imiso Ceramics on a shoestring and a vision
Spiritual rituals and ancestral messages as creative guidance
Her dream of keeping important works accessible to African audiences
The leap into bronze and what it means for legacy
Referenced exhibitions & institutions:
iLobola | uBuhle boKhokho | Indyebo yakwaNtu
Southern Guild (Cape Town & LA)
LACMA, The Met, Princeton University Art Museum
Louis Vuitton x LOEWE collaborations
Frieze Sculpture, Regents Park, London
Chapter 1, spanning episodes 1-3 of Season 2 of the Latitudes Podcast, offers a foundational guide to entering and engaging with the art world. A resource-driven series providing practical tools for emerging artists and enthusiasts to navigate the art world’s complexities. Featuring first-hand insights from artists, arts educators, and professionals who demystify the industry and share actionable guidance on residencies, networking, and career building.
Each time I hear the Metropolitan Museum has acquired one of my pieces, I pinch myself. It’s the museum we studied at university. It means the stories I carry - they’re being received, and they’re being felt. - Zizipho Poswa
About the Latitudes Podcast
Hosted by dynamic broadcast journalist and penchant for the arts Refiloe Mpakanyane, The Latitudes Podcast, which is the only podcast dedicated to contemporary African art, is an immersive and engaging platform that builds a new layer of access to the contemporary visual arts from Africa.
Season two of the Latitudes Podcast offers a dynamic, in-depth exploration of the ‘art world’ in Africa through twelve curated episodes, structured across four interconnected themes. From artists and facilitators to curators, critics, and collectors, the series unpacks the industry’s inner workings, shedding light on creative journeys, market dynamics, art criticism, and the evolving role of patrons. This podcast serves as both a resource and a platform for critical discourse, bridging regional perspectives and shaping the future art from Africa and diaspora.
About Refiloe Mpakanyane
Refiloe Mpakanyane is a broadcast journalist, with a penchant for the arts. Known for her love and support of local African literature, art and artists, Mpakanyane has an Honours Degree from the Wits School of Journalism and majored in International Relations, Media Studies and English Literature for her undergrad. Her firm grounding in the critical, analytical and creative thinking of the humanities discipline has underpinned her passion for broadcasting, leading her to delve into working not only behind the scenes in radio and television production, but in front of the camera and hosting her own radio shows as well.
About Latitudes Online
Latitudes Online is the world's leading online marketplace for art from Africa. Discover and buy artworks from over 3,000 artists and enjoy editorial from leading voices on the continent. When you buy from Latitudes Online you have peace of mind that your artwork will be safely delivered to you in perfect condition. Click here to start your collecting journey.
About iTOO Artinsure
iTOO is a collective of industry leading experts across a range of special risk insurance offerings. Art and collectables are a fast growing asset class around the world. Representing years of value that could diminish in a matter of seconds, it’s critical to take the time to insure with an expert who understands the length and breadth of the industry. Damage, an increasing rise in cultural crime and forgery can translate to serious loss in terms of your appreciating works and collectables.
About Art School Africa
This year, Latitudes has joined forces with Art School Africa to co-curate this latest season of the podcast. A registered non-profit, Art School Africa supports artists across the continent. While Africa has a deep and complex artistic history, many artists still struggle to access global markets - Art School Africa works to bridge this gap by providing resources, mentorship, and career opportunities.
About Business and Arts South Africa (BASA)
BASA was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative between government and the private sector, as part of a strategy to secure greater involvement in the arts from businesses operating in South Africa. Established as a Section 21 company, BASA is constituted in terms of the Companies Act, and is registered as a public benefit organisation. Its delisting as a Schedule 3 entity has seen Business and Arts South Africa NPC register for VAT. BASA is accountable to its stakeholders – the government, BASA members and the creative sector.
Further Reading In Articles
African Artist Directory