Ngcingane

Ludwe Mgolombane is a ceramic artist born in Umtata, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Primarily focused on sculpting the human form in the setting of his memories of home. He studied Ceramic Design at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University — a steady body of work has grown and honed the narrative of his sculptural views. In previous works that have won him awards, his gaze has been contemplative of transitional experiences in the practice of amaXhosa traditions. In 2018, his first solo exhibition titled ‘The Scramble Continues’ hosted by Gallery Noko saw defined abstractions of semi-rural into township bustling life. He appeared in the RMB Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg in 2019 and was the recipient of the 2020 Lithuba Lakho ‘This is Your Chance’ award in the Eastern Cape Art Competition. In 2022, he received the Ceramics South Africa’s 3rd merit national award within the ‘New Signatures’ category. His process includes mixing clay with any organic combustible materials, such as leaves, straw and pine needles that burn away, leaving a grassy, gritty textural finish highlighted using oxides. Now residing in Cape Town, Mgolombane had his second solo exhibition in November 2023. 2024 brought an opportunity to widen Ludwe’s artistic horizon, attending the multimedia Haystack Open Studio Residency, in Maine, USA, where he got to explore various disciplines: print on ceramics, wood carving and his family tradition of rope making. After much introspection, the artist managed to bend his own habits and is currently working on a series of abstract figures in preparation for his next solo show. He is currently a resident artist at Imiso Ceramics with Andile Dyalvane and Zizipho Poswa.