Assemblages of Belonging (Paperback)

Craniv Boyd

ISBN 10: 383768010X / ISBN 13: 9783837680102

Published by Transcript Verlag, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. Ndebele material culture in South Africa was appropriated and commodified during the apartheid era. Craniv Boyd traces Ndebele art back to its origins and examines its creation as enduring practices of identity construction and of cultural articulation, placing particular emphasis on mural painting and beadwork. He traces the historical trajectories of these art forms and considers their ongoing transformation in contemporary contexts. Focusing on the creative labor of Ndebele women, this study conceptualizes these practices as "assemblages of belonging" that mediate personal and collective identity, sustain cultural continuity, and navigate the shifting dynamics of heritage, modernity, and global circulation. Showing the ways in which Ndebele women in South Africa engage tradition-based art to navigate identity, history and the present. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9783837680102

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Assemblages of Belonging (Paperback)
• Publisher: Transcript Verlag
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 383768010X
• ISBN 13: 9783837680102
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Ndebele material culture in South Africa was appropriated and commodified during the apartheid era. Craniv Boyd traces Ndebele art back to its origins and examines its creation as enduring practices of identity construction and of cultural articulation, placing particular emphasis on mural painting and beadwork. He traces the historical trajectories of these art forms and considers their ongoing transformation in contemporary contexts. Focusing on the creative labor of Ndebele women, this study conceptualizes these practices as »assemblages of belonging« that mediate personal and collective identity, sustain cultural continuity, and navigate the shifting dynamics of heritage, modernity, and global circulation.

About the Author

Craniv Boyd is an art historian specializing in African visual culture. He received his PhD from Freie Universität Berlin and conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in South Africa. His research engages the intersections of aesthetics, memory, and the politics of representation in southern African art traditions.