Assemblages of Belonging: Murals, Beadwork, and Ndebele Identity in South Africa

Ndebele material culture in South Africa was appropriated and commodified during the apartheid era. Craniv Boyd traces Ndebele art back to its origins and examines its creation as enduring practices of identity construction and of cultural articulation, placing particular emphasis on mural painting and beadwork. He traces the historical trajectories of these art forms and considers their ongoing transformation in contemporary contexts. Focusing on the creative labor of Ndebele women, this study conceptualizes these practices as assemblages of belonging that mediate personal and collective identity, sustain cultural continuity, and navigate the shifting dynamics of heritage, modernity, and global circulation.

Craniv Boyd is an art historian specializing in African visual culture. He received his PhD from Freie Universität Berlin and conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in South Africa. His research engages the intersections of aesthetics, memory, and the politics of representation in southern African art traditions.