Ande Magoso brings Zulu folklore to life in new exhibition

Visual artist Ande Magoso is presenting a new exhibition titled uMbulumakheqe II: Sound, Story, Image, which brings Zulu folklore, ancestral memory and cultural identity into contemporary art. The exhibition explores the ancient Zulu tradition of izinganekwane, oral stories shared by elders at nightfall. Magoso works with poet and storyteller Mbali Malimela to reimagine this tradition within a gallery setting, using painting, soundscapes and live narration to examine memory, identity, love, longing and loss.

The center of the project is uMbulumakheqe, a figure that exists between worlds and lineages. The exhibition draws on folklore warning that telling izinganekwane during daylight would result in horns growing on the storyteller. By bringing these stories into the light, the artists aim to prompt audiences to reconsider the role of oral traditions in modern society.

Magoso, born in Kokstad in 1997, grew up in culturally distinct areas of KwaZulu-Natal. His artistic practice explores intercultural identity, migration, ritual and belonging through surreal figures that combine human, goat and sheep forms. The exhibition features paintings, soundscapes and live narration, inviting visitors to step into a world and experience a story rather than simply viewing artworks.