ILIFA LETHU RUG COLLECTION

ILIFA LETHU IS A RUG COLLECTION DESIGNED AND PRESENTED BY SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY ARTIST AND DESIGNER MASONWABE NTLOKO. THE TITLE, ILIFA LETHU, TRANSLATES FROM ISIXHOSA TO ENGLISH AS "OUR INHERITANCE," CONVEYING THE ARTIST'S INTENTION TO CELEBRATE THE RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF AFRICA THROUGH HIS WORK.

THE COLLECTION IS A CULMINATION OF NTLOKO'S EXPLORATION OF HIS AFRICAN ROOTS AND AIMS TO HONOR AND PRESERVE THE TRADITIONS AND STORIES PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS. BY CREATING THIS BODY OF WORK, NTLOKO SEEKS TO NOT ONLY PAY HOMAGE TO HIS HERITAGE BUT ALSO TO SHARE IT WITH A WIDER AUDIENCE, ENCOURAGING A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR AFRICAN CULTURE.

EACH RUG IN THE COLLECTION TELLS A UNIQUE STORY, DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM VARIOUS ASPECTS OF AFRICAN CULTURE SUCH AS MUSIC, DANCE, FOLKLORE, AND RITUALS. NTLOKO'S METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND CRAFTSMANSHIP IS EVIDENT IN THE INTRICATE DESIGNS AND QUALITY OF EACH PIECE, MAKING THEM NOT ONLY FUNCTIONAL BUT ALSO A WORK OF ART.

OVERALL, ILIFA LETHU SERVES AS A TESTAMENT TO THE BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY OF AFRICAN HERITAGE, AND NTLOKO'S DEDICATION TO PRESERVING AND CELEBRATING IT THROUGH HIS ART. THROUGH THIS COLLECTION, NTLOKO INVITES US TO CONNECT WITH OUR ROOTS, APPRECIATE OUR INHERITANCE, AND EMBRACE THE RICHNESS OF AFRICAN CULTURE.


ABOUT THE COLLECTION

THIS CAPSULE COLLECTION REPRESENTS THE ACT OF CREATING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING. IT BEGAN AFTER I LOST ALL MY PREVIOUS WORK, AND THE MAIN PORTRAIT ARTWORK BECAME THE FIRST PIECE I CREATED IN THAT PERIOD OF RENEWAL. THE COLLECTION WAS DEVELOPED WITH NEW ELEMENTS AND LIMITED RESOURCES, GUIDED BY A CLEAR INTENTION TO FORM A COHESIVE BODY OF WORK. EACH PIECE INTRODUCES DISTINCT PRINTS AND PATTERNS THAT BUILD VISUAL CONNECTION WITHOUT REPETITION. THIS COLLECTION CONTINUES THE MASONWABE NTLOKO BRAND MANIFESTO OF CREATING CLOTHING THAT REFLECTS OUR IDENTITIES AND STORIES. IT CELEBRATES WEARABLE ART THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE OURSELVES AND WEAR OUR PRIDE WITH CONFIDENCE.