Nila by Keroshin Govender

Size (cm): 105 x 120
Glazed Ceramic Tiles

Nila comprises a series of hand-formed ceramic tablets depicting two seemingly unrelated scenes: my parents’ wedding in Durban, South Africa, and NASA’s 1980 Solar Max mission. Although visually distinct, these events unfolded concurrently, reflecting the overlapping events that formed my family’s history.

By layering public and private archival imagery, the work explores familial stories while questioning simplified notions of monoculture. It invites reflection on the assumptions we make about communities and the limits of what we know.

The four-colour glaze-printing process was developed during an artist residency at Alvário Studios in Portugal. Ceramics have long been a conduit for the exchange of histories, techniques, and aesthetics across cultures. From cobalt tiles in Dutch South Africa to Portuguese azulejos rooted in Islamic traditions, ceramic surfaces carry complex narratives of migration and adaptation. Through this medium, I continue to investigate family histories and the interconnectedness of cultural experience.