Princess Ndala
Lesedi la koko II
Art Jewellery in Conversation with Still Life
About the SessionArt Jewellery in Conversation with Still Life, showcases 15 local art jewellers who have taken one of art’s oldest genres off the wall and made it wearable in the form of brooches, necklaces, rings and other pieces. This second collaboration between Strauss & Co and Stellenbosch University’s Creative Jewellery and Metal Design Division, brings together new works inspired by modern and contemporary still life, from Alexis Preller and Irma Stern to the humble banana. On view at the Oude Leeskamer in Stellenbosch from 3 to 11 October during Woordfees, the show runs alongside the art exhibition Anything but Static: A Selection of Modern and Contemporary Still Life, presented in partnership with Strauss & Co.
LOT 31
Princess Ndala
Lesedi la koko II
About this Item
Lesedi la koko translated means 'my grandmother's light'
Notes
"My jewellery responds to Art Jewellery in Conversation with Still Life by questioning the idea that stillness belongs only to inanimate objects.
Working from my interest in African spirituality, I understand objects not as passive possessions but as vessels of memory, ritual, and presence. Similarly, the chosen artist, Jagan, expresses varied interpretations of spirituality. The pendant and brooch are actual representations of candle wax flowing as it burns. The candle wax in this context carries symbolic significance in many African spiritual practices. Suspended from simple cords, they remain visually still until activated by the body, where movement becomes an extension of ritual.
Rather than depicting a still life arrangement, these works propose a living still life; one in which reminds us that spiritual objects acquire meaning through use, touch, and embodied experience. In this way, the pieces present adornment as a site where memory, ancestry, and the sacred remain alive. Through wearable form, I invite viewers to consider still life not as a continuous dialogue between object, body, and spirit."
Statement from Princess Ndala, 2026
Inspired by: Two candles, Jagan, oil on canvas, 2025

Two candles, Jagan, oil on canvas, 2025