South African multidisciplinary artist Mbali Dhlamini recently took to the stage at TEDx Johannesburg, sharing the story behind an enduring obsession that has come to shape her artistic practice: the pursuit of Indigofera, the ancient plant from which indigo dye is derived. In her talk, Dhlamini traces her fascination with the plant beyond its role as an artistic material. Indigofera has become the subject of an ongoing enquiry - one that has led her through histories, communities, languages and indigenous systems of knowledge in search of a deeper understanding of the cultural significance held within the colour blue.
Dhlamini frames artistic obsession as a form of research: a sustained and deliberate focus where the boundaries between curiosity, discovery and compulsion begin to blur. Her pursuit of indigo becomes a way of asking broader questions about what knowledge is preserved, how it is passed between generations, and what may be recovered through artistic practice. Central to this process is a willingness to continually unlearn and relearn. Through visual, tactile and discursive investigation, Dhlamini engages with living indigenous cultural practices while recognising language itself as both a means of understanding and a repository of knowledge.
This approach reflects the broader concerns that have long informed her multidisciplinary practice. Moving between photography, performance, printmaking and material research, Dhlamini investigates histories and cultural practices while questioning the systems through which they have traditionally been documented and understood. Her TEDx Johannesburg talk offers a compelling insight into the depth of research that sits behind this work. What begins with a single plant expands into a much larger exploration of memory, language, cultural preservation and the possibilities of art as a means of carrying knowledge forward.
Through her pursuit of Indigofera, Dhlamini demonstrates how an artistic obsession can become more than a source of inspiration - it can become a method of enquiry, a means of preservation and a way of opening new conversations.
Click here to watch Mbali Dhlamini’s full TEDx Johannesburg talk.
