The Gift of Umqombothi, Mbaba Mwana Waresa

Medium: Acrylic and Oil on 32" x 40" Canvas
Availability: 1 of 1 Original Please enquire for acquisition details.

Commissioned by Tate Britain

Mbaba Mwana Waresa appears in Zulu origin stories as a powerful figure linked to rain and rainbows, and credited with introducing farming and the gift of beer, sustenance tied to harvest and fertility.

That brewing legacy is often linked to umqombothi, a traditional sorghum-based beer. In many communities, it is traditionally brewed by women and shared with a small offering poured to the ground before people drink.

In later folktale retellings, Mbaba Mwana Waresa is imagined as dwelling in the clouds among rainbow arches, descending to earth in search of companionship, and brewing beer to host a feast that softens the divide between the heavens and humanity, leaving the rainbow as a lasting sign of connection and return.

This is a one-of-a-kind original artwork.
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