Provenance

Acquired from the artist by Kirby van der Merwe, c.2005-2007.

Notes

"I bought two Hlungwanes from him in 2006 at his home in Elim, Limpopo.
Photographer Fani Mahundsi and I had to do a story for Huisgenoot about a proposed factory in Giyani that would process mopane worms into, among other things, spread and chips.
Late in the afternoon, we stopped by Jackson’s place. His wife pointed: over there, on the other side of the hill. We walked along the ridge to a fallen tree. Jackson was sitting on one of the branches. The tree was a massive wooden sculpture. He explained it in his unique religious worldview/philosophy and the world of “up, down and underdown.” The tree he was sitting on – or part of – was God, both male and female, he said.
(And the meaning of the sore on his leg, which he wanted me to touch!)

Anyway, I bought two sculptures.
We loaded the one onto the back seat of the Huisgenoot car. It was already dark. Johannesburg was still far away.
Fani asked him: “What is it called?”
Jackson said: “Satan.”
Fani and I said: “Satan!?”
And Jackson replied: “Yes, Satan – but don’t worry, he is bound.”"¹

¹Kirby van der Merwe, 2006.