Pule Magopa’s work revolves around ancestry. He uses art as a tool to engage and create understanding around the belief system of ancestry.

It is still hard for many Africans to express their perceptions of their ancestral heritage because of the prejudice and misconceptions of those who lack understanding thereof. There is a sense of shame that most express subconsciously about believing in such, for fear of being damned by society.

Not only does Pule celebrate Orthodox African Practices in his work, he also questions society’s opinions and notions on the subject. He looks at the discrimination experienced by ancestral workers. But, he also makes art that interrogates the very same thing that he believes in – this is because of his strong acknowledgement that it is common for traditional healers to engage in malpractice (for example: witchcraft, traditional healers sleeping with initiates, mutilation, etc).

From a young age, the artist knew that he was an ancestral worker. Some of his work revolves around symptoms that affected him as a youth prior to being initiated. His work addresses incidents he has experienced in dreams, as well as in reality. His objective is to question, express and address all that he stands for in his contribution to the practice.