Madoda Fani, Ncumisa (The Smiling One) (detail), 2023, smoke-fired earthenware, 77 × 39 × 39cm. Courtesy the artist and Bunbury Regional Art Gallery

As part of the second Indian Ocean Craft Triennial, the bold and dramatically unique works by Madoda Fani are emblazoned with character and inspired by his heritage. Fani makes hand-coiled, burnished and smoke-fired pieces that are a contemporary evolution of the traditional ceramics indigenous to Southern Africa. Although he uses traditional techniques, Fani’s curvaceous, coiled forms and hand-carved embellishments are entirely distinct. He works on a large scale, building organic-shaped vessels whose smooth surfaces are punctuated by intricate, repetitive patterns that give them a scaled, insect-like appearance.