“De Bhaca” is a wholly personal and original series of stone planters that reflect ceramicist Andile Dyalvane’s connection to his Xhosa roots while also celebrating his mastery of an elemental material of choice: clay. Bhaca—which means scarification—is a traditional Xhosa practice in which the skin (usually on the cheeks) is finely cut to mark initiation, clan identification, or healing.

Andile’s wish is to preserve and share his cultural roots from this ancient tradition by carving into clay and pushing open the cuts where they intersect, as if attempting to open the flesh. The Bhaca has been electronically scanned and scaled up from smaller clay vessels to create large, impactful stone forms that share this story with the world.