Jeremy Wafer was born in KwaZulu-Natal in 1953. He is deeply concerned with the land, and with human structures made in relation to it. 

He made a series of oval terracotta-red shapes like this one, each with patterns of differently-shaped surface protrusions. The colour is reminiscent of the red earth, clay. In other Red Ovals in the series, sometimes the bumps are round, some are large, some smaller, and some elongated, as on this one – all placed in regular formation. They are possibly a reference to the patterns of amasumpa or “wart-like” raised bumps that are found on traditional pots in the KwaZulu-Natal area. These original amasumpa on clay pots are thought to stand for cattle. The bumps on Wafer’s “Red Ovals” also suggest the scarification marks on skin that are sometimes made on the bodies of initiates in Africa. 

They seem to be layered in their meanings. What do they suggest to you