|Kággęn II

The most important spiritual being to the |Xam people of Southern Africa is |Kággęn – a folk hero, demiurge and trickster-deity. They are a artisan-like figure, both a creator and a destroyer, a saviour and a monster. |Kággęn is a shape shifter that can switch between any and all manifestations – a living testament to the interconnectedness of all things. They dole out teachings, rewards and punishments as they are needed – most famously as a praying mantis (Lewis-Williams, 2010; Bleek, 1929).

Mixed media on Museum Etching

420 x 340 mm

(original artwork is framed in one-off vintage frame with bronze plaque as per image)

Prints are on German Etching 310 gsm | 360 x 278 mm | Edition of 15 | hand-signed, dated and numbered

Source image provided by Iziko Museums (William Fehr Collection)

Artist: Wilhelm Langschmidt
Name: “St George’s Cathedral and St George’s Street”
Date: c. 1845