{"id":2098035,"date":"2026-08-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2098035"},"modified":"2026-08-17T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T21:00:00","slug":"milk-cartons-and-bottle-gourds-form-sipho-mabonas-tribute-to-his-late-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2098035","title":{"rendered":"Milk Cartons and Bottle Gourds Form Sipho Mabona\u2019s Tribute to His Late Father"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1923\" height=\"2564\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-7.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a gourd with colorful aluminum patches sewn on the side\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cMan.\u201d All images courtesy of Sipho Mabona, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Milk Cartons and Bottle Gourds Form Sipho Mabona\u2019s Tribute to His Late Father<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-17T14:31:57-05:00\">August 17, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fsipho-mabona-calabasha-sculpture-series%2F&amp;title=Milk%20Cartons%20and%20Bottle%20Gourds%20Form%20Sipho%20Mabona%26%238217%3Bs%20Tribute%20to%20His%20Late%20Father\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Share<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--pinterest\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fsipho-mabona-calabasha-sculpture-series%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2Fmabona-7-960x1280.jpg&amp;description=Milk%20Cartons%20and%20Bottle%20Gourds%20Form%20Sipho%20Mabona%26%238217%3Bs%20Tribute%20to%20His%20Late%20Father\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share to Pinterest\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Pin<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--email\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email this article\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/sipho-mabona-calabasha-sculpture-series\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"476860\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Known for his large <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/sipho-mabona\/\">origami-style works<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.siphomabona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sipho Mabona<\/a> turns his attention to a deeply personal object in a new series: the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Calabash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">calabash<\/a>. The hollowed, dried gourd is native to tropical Africa and utilized across the continent as a bottle-like vessel for food and beverage. In <em>The Calabashes We Never Drank Amasi From<\/em>, Mabona translates his familial connection to the functional fruit into vibrant patterns made from recycled milk cartons.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe starting point for my audiovisual series of works is my childhood memories of my late father\u2019s stories about his own childhood in the rural Eastern Cape of South Africa,\u201d he says. \u201cOne memory that was especially close to his heart, and which he often told my siblings and me, was of drinking his favourite drink, Amasi (Xhosa for fermented milk), from calabashes.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476860\" title=\"\u201cDove\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cDove\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cDove\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1952\" height=\"2669\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-8.jpg\" alt=\"a gourd with colorful aluminum patches sewn on the side\" class=\"wp-image-476866\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cDove\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To create the works, Mabona first cut triangular and rectangular pieces from the gourd, which he replaced with colorful, text-laden snippets of Tetra Pak containers secured with equally vibrant threads. Near the center of each piece is a small mirror that reflects the surroundings through a slightly distorted, curved perspective. When up close, viewers can also hear quiet recordings of Mabona\u2019s father, the late scholar and activist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theherald.co.za\/news\/2022-09-22-forgotten-struggle-hero-mongameli-mabona-honoured-in-death\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mongameli Mabona<\/a>, reading his original poems and excerpts of his doctoral thesis on Xhosa cultural history.<\/p>\n<p>Materially and conceptually, the works highlight how the personal and cultural intersect alongside the distinctly South African sense of resilience, one that emerges in the Black population\u2019s upcycling traditions. The artist shares that the series reflects \u201chow growing up and living in different cultural contexts shapes our worldview, and what interactions arise between generations through the transmission of these worldviews and the exchange that comes with it,\u201d adding: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The works thus represent, on one hand, a juxtaposition of the different ways of life my father and I grew up in, and on the other, a dialogue between my own artistic work to date and his academic work as an anthropologist, in which he studied, among other things, the significance of symbols within his Xhosa culture\u2026 (The sculptures) also refer to the fact that calabashes serve not only to store food and drink, but in Xhosa culture are also the resonating bodies of musical instruments (Uhandi), and are used in rituals to communicate with the ancestors, to whom significant spiritual relevance is attributed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>To display the auditory works, the artist constructed cylindrical plinths made from soil, cow dung, glue, and water, an earthen concoction shaped into round stands reminiscent of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rondavel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rondavel huts<\/a> in which the elder Mabona spent his childhood in apartheid South Africa. \u201cThis is meant to lend the calabashes, with their anthropomorphic forms, a sense of home in an unfamiliar place, within a kind of animist worldview,\u201d Mabona writes.<\/p>\n<p>Find more from the artist, including additional works collaging found materials into rich, symbolic patterns, on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.siphomabona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">his website<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/siphomabona\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476860\" title=\"\u201cThe Calabashes We Never Drank Amasi From\u201d (2024), calabashes, tetra pack, embossed sheet aluminum, nylon thread, cotton, honeycomb cardboard, soil, cow dung, rabbit-skin glue, MP3 player, 105 \u00d7 218 \u00d7 209 centimeters. Installation view at Kunstmuseum Luzern\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Calabashes We Never Drank Amasi From\u201d (2024), calabashes, tetra pack, embossed sheet aluminum, nylon thread, cotton, honeycomb cardboard, soil, cow dung, rabbit-skin glue, MP3 player, 105 \u00d7 218 \u00d7 209 centimeters. Installation view at Kunstmuseum Luzern\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Calabashes We Never Drank Amasi From\u201d (2024), calabashes, tetra pack, embossed sheet aluminum, nylon thread, cotton, honeycomb cardboard, soil, cow dung, rabbit-skin glue, MP3 player, 105 \u00d7 218 \u00d7 209 centimeters. Installation view at Kunstmuseum Luzern\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1501\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-4.jpg\" alt=\"gourds with colorful aluminum patches sewn on the sides resting on wood pedestals\" class=\"wp-image-476867\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Calabashes We Never Drank Amasi From\u201d (2024), calabashes, tetra pack, embossed sheet aluminum, nylon thread, cotton, honeycomb cardboard, soil, cow dung, rabbit-skin glue, MP3 player, 105 \u00d7 218 \u00d7 209 centimeters. Installation view at Kunstmuseum Luzern<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476860\" title=\"Detail of \u201cMan\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cMan\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cMan\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-6.jpg\" alt=\"a gourd with colorful aluminum patches sewn on the side\" class=\"wp-image-476868\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cMan\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476860\" title=\"\u201cFemale\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cFemale\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cFemale\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2047\" height=\"2728\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-1.jpg\" alt=\"a gourd with colorful aluminum patches sewn on the side\" class=\"wp-image-476861\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cFemale\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476860\" title=\"\u201cUnicorn\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cUnicorn\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cUnicorn\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1818\" height=\"2425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-3.jpg\" alt=\"a gourd with colorful aluminum patches sewn on the side\" class=\"wp-image-476863\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cUnicorn\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476860\" title=\"\u201cBull\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cBull\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cBull\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2027\" height=\"2702\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mabona-5.jpg\" alt=\"a gourd with colorful aluminum patches sewn on the side\" class=\"wp-image-476864\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cBull\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/wiley-wallace-night-blooms-acrylic-paintings-desert-crystals\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cMan.\u201d All images courtesy of Sipho Mabona, shared with permission Milk Cartons and Bottle Gourds Form Sipho Mabona\u2019s Tribute to His Late Father August 17, 2026 Art Grace Ebert Share Pin Email Copy Bookmark Known for his large origami-style works, Sipho Mabona turns his attention to a deeply personal object in a new series: the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2098035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2098035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2098035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2098035\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2098035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2098035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2098035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}