COMMUNITY
Having gathered in groups for millenia, we are irrevocably bound to each other as human beings. Through our assertion of communities, we have built civilizations — and even when these fall, we continue to rely on our interconnectedness to shape our world. We simply cannot exist without the presence of other people; drawing on collaboration for practical, emotional and spiritual growth as we traverse our temporal trajectory through the ages.
Within community spaces, our differences and similarities are channeled as an anchoring of values, imbuing our lives with illustrious meaning. As Audre Lorde said — “Without community, there is no liberation.” — and this is the precise vision we ought to maintain through a digitally-expansive era, in which our ability to be connected is constantly shifting.
Without our community — exemplified by the voices witnessed throughout this series — we would not be where we are. We remain forever grateful.
“I think I have always looked to an exterior or another, such as a group, when it comes to considering myself — in relation to them, and the context that brings us together. I have had to turn inward, through solitude. It was difficult for me, as I have never been quite still, in the way that I have been in the last year.” — Thuthuka Sibisi reflects on the sense of community that when challenged, evokes a deep sense of introspection; as if to affirm that our individual self relies on others around us.
“I grew up looking at community as more than an idea — but as a part of my life that existed in the spaces that I saw growing up. Spaces that provided belonging. Through the eyes of a child, one does not always see the differences in community. I think about coming together and being one — as being equals. A beautiful idea, but as I have grown I have seen how many levels and locations exist within one community.” — Zizipho Ntobogwana contemplates the nuances of communities, particularly touching on the class systems that govern the world — and how choice becomes limited as a result.
“I think community is so intrinsic to human beings — it is like air to me. We are social creatures, and it really does reflect back onto us in the varied communities that we exist in. I think about the artisans of our respective labels, and how we are utilizing design to enhance economic infrastructure within communities through our work — our raison d’etre.” Sindiso Khumalo muses, going on to offer a beautiful Zulu metaphor that elucidates community.
