Springbok Herbalist

Procreate, 2020

“Springbok Herbalist” explores herbalism in South Africa. A Springbok familiar practices as an Inyanga and channels a ball of light made up of a combination of South African herbs between her antelope horns to cook over the cauldron. She wears white, blue and pink beadings of the indigenous Zulu people, respectively representing purity, faithfulness and promise.

In South Africa, the indigenous Zulu people respect witch doctors (Inyanga and Sangoma) as healers who serve a vital role in their society. An Inyanga is a traditional healer or diviner, especially one specializing in herbalism, working with medicines made from plants and animals. While a Sangoma relies primarily on divination for healing purposes and is considered a type of fortune teller. South African herbs featured in this illustration: sour fig, cancer bush, camphor bush, aloe ferox, and rooibos. For the zulu beadings worn by the Springbok, I chose to include patterns that represent girl, boy, married woman and married man, and the colours chosen represent: blue for faithfulness & request, white for purity & spiritual love and pink for promise & high status.

The national animal of South Africa: Springbok