Turksvy

Silver, Prickly pear skeleton, Resin, Porcelain, Leather.

The prickly pear, Turksvy in Afrikaans, is a familiar presence across the Karoo landscape. Though not indigenous, it has become deeply woven into the visual and ecological character of the region.

It is summer in the Eastern Cape. I grew up picking the fruit in the veld and driving across the plains you see ladies selling their harvest on the side of the road.

This piece preserves the delicate skeletal structure revealed as the plant decays, exposing an intricate network usually hidden from view.