STUDIOSENZI

10+ hours of beading in 20 seconds 🪡 Artwork Title: uMaKhathi (2026) The piece is a beaded triptych of my late parental grandmother, uMaKhathi. Beading was a craft she practiced and shared. In the 1960s in South Africa she taught women in her local community this skill as part of an empowerment programme. The piece is currently on show at the Javett-UP Art Centre in Pretoria, South Africa ✨ #beading #southafricanartist #beadloom #beadwork

The Tlhagella Top 10 Artists’ group exhibition, Between Here and Elsewhere, opened yesterday at the Javett-UP Art Centre! 🌟 The title speaks to being in more than one place at once, between the spiritual and physical, past and present, intergenerational and self, home and elsewhere, memory and lived experience. The exhibition is curated by @pplessie in collaboration with the Tlhagella Top 10 artists and Javett-UP’s curatorial team. Working closely with the curators and being part of this cohort, while forming meaningful relationships with fellow artists over the past few months has been rewarding. I have gained valuable insight into exhibition design and curatorial practice whilst also developing my entrepreneurial and networking skills within the broader art ecosystem. My contribution to the exhibition comprises two new beaded works alongside an older filet crochet piece of my grandmother. Creating these works allowed me to further explore themes of memory, lineage and intergenerational connection within my practice. Grateful for this moment and excited for what lies ahead. 🤍✨

Senzelw’umusa Mathe is a designer who has found a voice in working with crochet, a technique passed down from her maternal grandmother. She use it to create portraits that honour inherited knowledge while asserting contemporary presence. Her practice centres on reclamation, empowerment, and the celebration of Black women through portraiture and material processes grounded in lineage and care. @studio.senzi also works with woven beadwork, drawing from isiZulu traditions inherited from her paternal grandmother, where colour, pattern, and form carry layered meanings of identity and emotion. Many of her pieces depict family members, allowing her to document personal histories and affirm intimacy through portraiture. Senzi is part of the Tlhagella Incubation Programme Top 10’s group exhibition 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 opening on 01 May. To see her work at the exhibition opening, RSVP on the link in bio. Tlhagella programme is made possible by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). #Tlhagella #Top10 #ShowUp #Create #canadafundsouthafrica

STUDIOSENZI X STUCKEN YARNS 🤍 Custom Angora Sweater commissioned by @stuckenyarns ✨ Thank you for trusting me with the design and execution of this piece celebrating the Angora Goat. It was a pleasure working with Stucken Yarns’ Mohair Range, produced in the Eastern Cape in South Africa, the world’s leading mohair region. Proud to create with fibres that are both locally rooted and globally respected. Grateful for the collaboration 🐐💕

New year, new medium 🪡✨💕 Make a woven beadwork bracelet with me! • I have been wanting to make jewelry for some time now so I’m excited to share my debut woven beadwork piece, a wearable portrait of my late paternal grandmother, uMaKhathi. Beading was a craft she practiced and shared. In the 1960s during the apartheid regime she taught women in her local community this skill as part of an empowerment programme. I have always looked up to the older women in my family who create with their hands. Their work has always felt alchemical to me. I have long wanted to explore beadwork and lean deeper into my isiZulu heritage within my art practice. Using ubuhlalu felt incredibly special. It gave me a chance to honour her legacy while adding a contemporary twist. I’m so excited about this piece and look forward to expanding the possibilities of what wearable art can be. 🤍✨ #wovenbeadwork #ubuhlalu #beadedjewelry

A closer look at the yarn I mixed together from @elle_yarns to crochet these plant cozies! 🪴✨ • #elleyarns #MadeWithElle #SaprotexYarns #charitycreation #plantcozy

I am honoured to have been part of this incredible exhibition for breast cancer awareness through crochet and embroidery at @223jansmuts_creativehub The piece is titled “Survival in Bloom” and features a pair of orchids created using yarn from @elle_yarns . I am of the belief that orchids are a reflection of women’s bodies which are often misunderstood and mishandled, much like how so many women have been let down by the healthcare system through mistreatment or misdiagnosis. There is so much misunderstanding, and yet, despite it all, our bodies continue to survive and show incredible resilience. The piece is dedicated to breast cancer survivor Mam’ Bafikile ‘Sweetie Pie’ Ngcana✨ Special thanks to @curioussleuth and @craftivism_club for such a meaningful exhibition. The exhibition will be on until the 31st of October so do visit if you can! 🩷 • #elleyarns #MadeWithElle #SaprotexYarns #CharityCreation #crochetorchids #breastcancerawarenessmonth

In light of voting for the Top 5 finalists for the Rocking the Daisies Festival Fashion Talent Search closing soon, I thought I’d share a more sketches from my submission 🌼✨ This collection consisting of 5 looks each incorporated some of the beautiful shades from @elle_yarns ‘ Charity Double Knit range ! 🧶💛 There are only a few hours left to vote and I’d be so grateful for your support! 💫 • #rockingthedaisies #elleyarns #MadeWithElle #SaprotexYarns #CharityCreation #saprotexpartner #RTDxGalxboy #RTD2025 #20YearsInBloom

In light of voting for the Top 5 finalists for the Rocking the Daisies Festival Fashion Talent Search closing soon, I thought I’d share a more sketches from my submission 🌼✨ This collection consisting of 5 looks each incorporated some of the beautiful shades from @elle_yarns ‘ Charity Double Knit range ! 🧶💛 There are only a few hours left to vote and I’d be so grateful for your support! 💫 • #rockingthedaisies #elleyarns #MadeWithElle #SaprotexYarns #CharityCreation #saprotexpartner #RTDxGalxboy #RTD2025 #20YearsInBloom

In light of voting for the Top 5 finalists for the Rocking the Daisies Festival Fashion Talent Search closing soon, I thought I’d share a more sketches from my submission 🌼✨ This collection consisting of 5 looks each incorporated some of the beautiful shades from Elle Yarns’ Charity Double Knit range ! 🧶💛 There are only a few hours left to vote and I’d be so grateful for your support! 💫 • #rockingthedaisies #elleyarns #MadeWithElle #SaprotexYarns #CharityCreation #saprotexpartner #RTDxGalxboy #RTD2025 #20YearsInBloom

For the month of June, I’ve just been thinking a lot about upcycling — so I decided, why not do a little mini-series highlighting some of the pieces I’ve reworked. Starting with this dress I upcycled during Fashion Revolution Week. It’s amazing how a small adjustment can breathe new life into an old piece 💗✨ Yarn Type: @elle_yarns Charity Double Knit (shade names & codes above) #elleyarns #MadeWithElle #SaprotexYarns #CharityCreation #saprotexpartner @fash_rev_southafrica

The newest and final piece of my upcycling mini series is a pair of jeans that I really like the fit of that began to wear in areas that experience the most friction. This is my attempt at finding a creative way to make them wearable again. 🤍✨ Yarn Type: @elle_yarns Charity Double Knit (shade names & codes above) #elleyarns #MadeWithElle #SaprotexYarns #CharityCreation #saprotexpartner