Master Weavers

VINCENT SITHOLE

1970 - 2011
I considered Vincent not only one of the most talented artists making baskets, but also a friend. He was appreciated during the early years of the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe. He specialized in detailed geometric patterns, and was the master of animals, bugs and birds. The basket he is holding depicts Marisa and I, and was made as s birthday gift for Marisa.

DUDU CELE

1970 - 2002
Celebrations with words and candles were a Dudu trademark. She was one of the first women to weave with telephone wire and worked closely with her husband Bheki Dlamini. As she was very good at integrating words into her designs, she collaborated closely with Marisa on special commissions. The basket on the top here was done for Jim Rimelspach's 50th birthday. I am so glad we had that made before she passed away.

BHEKI DLAMINI

1957 - 2003
Beki was a proud South African artist. Behind Elliot, he was the second master weaver to emerge with an unique style. He was a proud traditionalist and frequently depicted Zulu traditions and sports events. The Leopard basket to the right is one of my favorite pieces in the collection.

ZAMA KHANYILE

1971 - 2012
Zama was a beautiful artist, with a very unique weave, resulting in thicker and heavier baskets that used a lot of wire. She excelled in animals and frequently has a bird, a phoenix?, in the center of the design. I recall a day in Durban when we were celebrating the anniversary of the BAT Centre. We awarded Zama a prize for one of her baskets and her smile was extraordinary.

SIMON MAVUNDLA

1970 - 2016
Simon worked closely with Marisa on some of her most complicated designs, difficult patterns that are not uniform around the basket, such as skulls and birds. The animals and figures in his own designs were unique and quirky, such as the white crocs and the crazy eagle, pictured here. Element anywhere on the page.

JAHENI MKHIZE

1953 - 2009
Jaheni was the master of soft wire baskets, woven over a form, where every stitch is important for the overall design. She made a few very large zigzag pattern baskets for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, and Marisa and I had enough foresight to have her make two extras so that we could each have one for our collections. Jaheni made several trips to Santa Fe for the International Folk Art Market where she shared her expertize in weaving with many.

NTOMBIFUTHI MAGWASA

Born 1965
The beautiful Ntombufuti has a special touch with bold and detailed patterns in her work. She won the FNB Vita Craft Now awards in 1998. One of her baskets was also featured on the cover of our book, Wired. She is continuing the weave and continues making some lovely baskets.

ALICE GCABA

1956 - 2021
Bright colored backgrounds, full of buildings, plants, people and animals are a trademark of Alice's baskets. She filled them with a lot of figurative elements, including cars and helicoptors. She was also a master of form, making challenging bowl shapes for some of her baskets.

ZODWA MAPHUMULO

Born 1960
Zodwa was the first woman to learn telephone wire weaving. She makes very detailed and high quality baskets. She worked closely with Marisa on design elements, borrowing books with design elements she would then make her own, including elephants and school girls.

ELLIOT MKHIZE

1945 - 2020
Elliot was one of the true originators of telephone wire baskets. When you hear the stories of the night watchmen making baskets, they are talking about Elliott and Bheki Dlamini. Elliot had a very unique, tightly woven geometric style, and he taught many other weavers, including his children to weave. He also had a habit of putting his initials in his work, look closely at the basket he is holding and you will see his "E M" woven into the pattern.

ALFRED NTULI

1953 - 2022
Alfred has an unique style of basket making. He makes traditionally shaped pots with lids. He has also been to Santa Fe for the International Folk Art Market several times, and has a big base of collectors in the United States. After seeing them at the Phansi Museum, I received my first Alfred pot for my 40th birthday, it's the diamond patterned one in the top photo. Since then, well, let's just say I have plenty.s.