Burnishing History: The Legacies of Maria Martinez and Nesta Nala in Dialogue: Part II: An Artists’ Conversation

Abstract

This article is the second part of “Burnishing History: The Legacies of Maria Martinez and Nesta Nala in Dialogue”. “Part I: An Historian’s Perspective” precedes this article. The following text is an edited transcription and translation representing a significant portion of a one and half hour Skype discussion that took place on July 21, 2014. The key participants, Barbara Gonzales (great-granddaughter of Maria Martinez), Jabulile (Jabu) Nala and Thembile (Thembi) Nala (daughters of Nesta Nala), are all active ceramic artists/potters. Elizabeth Perrill, with the assistance of Nozipho Zulu, brought together these descendants of Maria Martinez and Nesta Nala, two famous artists of the burnished, blackware ceramic traditions, after observing that, for at least two decades, their lineages had often been compared to one another. Part I of Perrill’s companion article in this volume historicizes this comparison and its roots in the 1980s. The conversation that follows adopts a fluid and open-ended approach; it documents a discussion between peers, the dedication of these culture bearers, and in the end, moments of intergenerational mentorship. Readers will see that some isiZulu (Zulu language) transcriptions are preserved. Some miscommunications and clarifications can be found in the text and are meant to convey the complexity, sincerity, and savvy required of those choosing to engage in intercultural and bilingual dialogue. This dialogue continues to unfold; in July 2015, Jabu Nala and Barbara Gonzalez were able to meet in person in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Keywords:

• Ceramics
• pottery
• Pueblo
• South Africa
• contemporary art
• Zulu
• San Ildefonso
• Tewa

Acknowledgment

It is hoped that the voices of the potters heard here convey the power, the depth, and the resonance between these indigenous pottery movements and the powerful potential for mutual understanding that can come from continued direct dialogue.

Funding

This conversation was funded by a generous grant from The Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design out of Asheville, North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Kohler Fund and the UNCG Department of Art.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Barbara Gonzales

Barbara Tahn-Moo-Whé (Sunbeam) Gonzales (b. 1947) is an active ceramic artist working in San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, USA. She has been a potter for nearly 40 years and lectures at museums, schools, and cultural events. The eldest great granddaughter of Maria and Julian Martinez, Gonzales’ work is held in numerous museums.

Jabulile Nala

Jabulile (Jabu) Nala (b. 1969) lives and works as a ceramic artist and workshop instructor in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jabu is the second daughter of the famous Zulu potter Nesta Nala. She has traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico three times to sell her work at the International Folk Art Market, as well as to the International Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth, Wales.

Thembile Nala

Thembile (Thembi) Nala (b. 1973) is the third daughter of Nesta Nala. Thembi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of South Africa and continues to take university courses as a continuing learner. She has traveled to Italy, Spain, Germany, and the USA as part of her pottery career and has visited Santa Fe, New Mexico twice for the International Folk Art Market.

Elizabeth Perrill

Elizabeth Perrill (b. 1976) is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, as well as Consulting Curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Her primary research interests include the history of hand-built ceramics, South African contemporary art, and the economic history of ceramic arts. Perrill’s publications include Zulu Pottery (2012), Ukucwebezela: To Shine (2008), as well as many academic articles.

Nozipho Zulu

Nozipho Zulu (b. 1986) is the Assistant Director of the nonprofit African Art Centre in Durban, South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Durban University of Technology and has traveled to many countries facilitating arts and crafts promotions and sales on behalf of the African Art Centre. She gained expertise in Zulu ceramic vocabulary both during her degree and while acting as a translator for Perrill’s doctoral fieldwork.