Design References

 

 

My first cultural reference would be the sun because it is part of my clan's names that signify we, as Mhlongo people, originated from the sun. That's why I chose it. The second reference is the sunflower. In my clan's names, there is a part that mentions Mhlongo people growing during the daytime. Hence, I thought of using the sunflower because sunflowers follow the sun throughout the day, symbolizing that we grow during the daytime. The third reference is a horse. I chose it because it appears in my clan's name. The horse is an understanding and accepting animal. As Mhlongo people, we share similar characteristics with horses; we are trustworthy individuals, just like horses. The last reference is a mouse, which also appears in my clan's names. Mice are self-reliant, thrifty, and like to plan for the future, the horse has same characteristics shared by Mhlongo people, who also like to plan for the future. The colour that I will use for beading is yellow, as I drew it from the sun and the sunflower, both of which are yellow.