This marks Lona Ndzimande's first solo exhibition. Her work explores Black womanhood through the lens of her Zulu upbringing, reflecting on the expectations and rules she was taught as a young Zulu girl. Using herself as reference, she centers figures painted in deep black tones, not as stereotypes, but as a celebration of Blackness. Textured surfaces reveal the layers and complexity of our identities in a world that often flattens and simplifies us.

Zulu glass beads are incorporated not merely as decoration, but as motifs that both honor and question her culture. Fabrics, colors, and draped beads convey femininity, playfulness, and the joy of self-expression, while leopard print backgrounds and sculptural paper mâché elements evoke survival, resilience, and presence. Exaggerated red lips emphasize sensuality, sexuality, and the power of owning one’s femininity.

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