Art

Artists of Platfontein: Zurietta Dala Dikuanga 

2010-02-06 15:13:00

Artists of Platfontein: Zurietta Dala Dikuanga

Zurietta Dikuanga was born in 1954 in Caiundo, Angola. Zurietta attended a Portuguese school for four years. She left as a result of war and joined her brother in Namibia. She did laundry for the soldiers at Omega, where she also married her husband, Joao. Once at Schmidtsdrift, Zurietta found casual employment on neighbouring farms during harvest season, before joining the art project in 1993. She gave birth to seven children, three of whom have died from illnesses.

Zurietta sits next to her husband with their small daughter cuddling close between her legs. There are few possessions in their brick house, other than a few handmade stools and some blankets. A large sheet lies open, covered with green gadolo leaves from the garden.

Zurietta explains that she carried this seed from Angola to Caprivi and later to South Africa. It was the first thing they planted when they moved from Schmidtsdrift to Platfontein. She has been nourished by the gadolo plant ever since she can remember. Cooked with salt, it tastes like spinach and lemon. When dried like herbs, it can last for ages. ‘When it rains, we plant it and it grows we use the seed again and again.’ Most of the artists have a patch of this nutritious plant growing in bushes next to their houses. It is treasured as a survival food.

Extracts from:
My Eland’s Heart, a collection of stories and art, from !Xun and Khwe San Art and Culture Project by Marlene Sullivan Winberg was published by David Philip Publishers in Cape Town in 2001.

Anyone who is interested in buying the work of these, and other, artists should contact Marlene on: marlene.winberg@absamail.co.za

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