Noria Mabasa

Noria Mabasa with wooden Sculpture.

Noria Muelwa Mabasa (née Luvhimbi) (born May 10, 1938) is a South African artist renowned for her exceptional woodcarving skills. She's known for her intricate sculptures that often reflect themes of African culture, spirituality, and everyday life. Mabasa's work has been exhibited internationally, and she's considered one of the leading contemporary artists in South Africa. Her journey and dedication to her craft inspire many within and beyond the art world.

Quotes

• "I started because of a dream. It took a very long time, because I didn't understand it well. This was in 1965 and in 1974, I started the work".
  • sahoboss (17 February 2011). "Noria Mabasa". South African History Online. Retrieved 24 March 2025.

• "If nothing happens, our children will die suffering, like their grandparents. We sacrifice, but we are not seeing the changes."
• "Some youths are lazy and addicted to alcohol and drug abuse. That is also killing our country,"
• "This is the picture of a woman who, after some differences with her husband, embarks on a lonely journey with food over her head for her child,"
• "These days, people are killing each other and killing children as well. It is very disturbing. We are living in a society that needs leadership."
• "I believe that artwork should not be hidden, but the manner in which we have been robbed, it keeps one worried that it's better to keep one's work on the shelves,"
  • Makana, Chester (22 March 2018). "Noria Mabasa's sculptures tackle gender based violence". News24. Retrieved 24 March 2025.

Quotes About Her

• "Her skill made her the first black woman, and the only Venda woman in South Africa, to become a famous wood carver. She also began to create works which followed more contemporary themes."
• "Her work contemplates the feeling of social rejection, censure, and disapproval that comes with diverging from the established guidelines of accepted and expected behaviour. "
• "Her figures of traditional ceremonies, women with babies, and those that capture daily life around her reflect profound expressiveness and mastering of her craft. She conveys the experience of apartheid from a Venda women’s perspective focusing in the exploration of her origins, displacement, race, and sex."
  • sahoboss (17 February 2011). "Noria Mabasa". South African History Online. Retrieved 24 March 2025.