iTi Ritual Studies by Yonela Makoba

In memory of female ancestors and matriarchs

Makoba takes the position of a child sitting at the feet of an elder and drinking tea from a saucer that has been passed down from generation to generation. Through this act, she explores what has been lost, remained hidden, or has been handed down only in fragments. The ceremony creates space for memories and stories, such as the everyday knowledge shared at the kitchen table over tea.

For Afrovibes, Makoba is redeveloping iTi Ritual Studies during a residency at Framer Framed, tailored to the Amsterdam location. She explores the relationship between land, labor, and ritual knowledge through the spread of tea and the colonial exchange between South Africa and the Netherlands. She also examines how rituals change through distance, language, and time. The audience is invited to take a seat, listen, and open themselves to a shared experience of memory, loss, and connection.