I had a conversation with Sibusiso Mthembu, who has been featured on our Artist Wall, is a friend of Woza Moya, a lover of art and, as he prefers to call himself, a maker.

Our conversation took us through ceramics, traditional knowledge, creativity and the spiritual side of making.

Sibusiso spoke about the science behind traditional clay pots and how different areas of the pot were made to have different temperatures. He had me touch the bottom of a pot and then the wider upper parts so I could feel the difference for myself. He explained that this understanding helped determine which pots were used for African beer and other products that needed to ferment.

For Sibusiso, this is an example of how well ancient people understood the medium. It is also why he continues to work with clay using traditional methods today.

When I asked Sbusiso what he was experimenting with at the moment, he said there was nothing special, but that he is learning new things every day as he perfects his craft. He says he wishes to try a lot of things with clay, including experimenting with firing scale and making big pots. 

When I asked which part of the ceramics process, he enjoys most, he said he enjoys all of it, from start to finish. Sitting on his work desk was a broken clay pot that he had kept because he was still going to use it. He believes that, as makers, we should not destroy things but find ways to use and reuse them. To him, the broken pot was still in the process of becoming something complete, even though it was not his intention for it to break.

This idea of allowing things to become what they are, comes through in his work. He says he allows the clay to determine how his artworks turn out. He gave an example, that if he intends to make a horse and it becomes a goat, he will not destroy it and start again. He will keep it as an artwork. He also says that whether an artwork is successful or not, an artist has to be willing to start afresh at any time.

For Sibusiso, creating is a spiritual thing. He believes our inner being pushes us towards the things we do. He also believes that whatever an artist has been told by their spirit to create already has a person who will see it, love it and want to own it. He feels that the desire to sell can sometimes prevent artists from creating authentically and being true to what their spirits want to create.

Sibusiso also explained why he prefers to be called a maker rather than an artist. He feels that nowadays we reduce important words to nothing. To him, an artist is a creator who can work across different mediums, excellently. He works in ceramics, which he describes as a fancy name for pottery. He does not paint or carve using other mediums, and says that, for him, it would be an insult to real artists to call himself one. He does not mind other people calling themselves artists; for him, he is simply a maker.

He gave the late Thami Jali as an example of an artist, pointing to his ability to create using different mediums such as wood, wire, paper and painting. He also spoke about the importance of preserving knowledge. Sbusiso says he wishes people would stop believing that academic knowledge is the only knowledge worth passing down. He wants elders to be encouraged to preserve their knowledge and share it with young people.

Phansi Museum has also played a huge role in his journey. Sbusiso arrived at the Museum as a student and apprentice, where he was learning from his teacher, Clive Sithole. Clive had come to Phansi Museum looking for space to work while he was working on a big exhibition in 2023.

Sbusiso is now an independent maker, although he is still learning a lot from Clive and other artists. He says most of the opportunities he has received, including opportunities to go abroad, came through the Museum.

He says Phansi Museum helped a lot because, as an artist, you need your own space to work, and that can be expensive. Some artists rent spaces, while their source of income is not always stable, so having that space made a big difference.

Sbusiso is grateful to Clive for bringing him to the Museum and teaching him. Although Clive has since left and gone back to the BAT Centre, Sbusiso says he left him when he was ready to stand on his own.

When asked what advice he would give to people who want to get into ceramics, Sbusiso says they should make sure they love it first and that it is a part of who they are. He says you also need to be patient because, in art, you might not be successful sometimes. That does not mean you are doing anything wrong, so you should not give up. You have to have the heart for it.

He encourages people to get close to more experienced artists who have walked the road, take their advice and be willing to learn. Be humble. Be respectful. For Sibusiso, that is the key to learning. He says experience is the best teacher. Institutions cannot teach you everything, so you have to take the initiative to learn from real people and go through real experiences.