Mural painting or the art of decorating homes. The symbolic function of the Ndebele painting. (South Africa)

Abstract

The Southern Ndebele, who inhabit the Transvaal province of South Africa, awakened throughout the twentieth century the interest of anthropologists, architects, photographers and tourists due to the colorful costumes of women and also the wall paintings that decorated the facades of their houses: This community stood out from their neighbors, thanks to the originality of its murals. Designed with bright, colorful and strictly symmetric geometric patterns, these murals turned into a cultural tradition through which the Ndebele people managed to develop a sense of identity and belonging, despite the displacements, which they were victims of throughout history.