Lungiswa Joe

Lungiswa Joe

Lungiswa Joe is a Cape Town-based ceramist whose powerful work explores heritage, identity, healing, and sustainability through clay. Originally from the Eastern Cape and now rooted in Langa, Joe began her ceramic journey in 2018, drawn to the tactile, expressive nature of clay. With lineage spanning Khoisan, Zambian, and AmaXhosa cultures, she describes her creative process as “intentional listening,” allowing ancestral guidance to shape her forms. 

Joe is also a community advocate and social entrepreneur. She founded the Inxwala Slow Market, celebrating seasonal harvests and empowering township women, and leads LungiJoe Ceramics, a sustainability-driven initiative transforming plastic waste into ceramic art. Through mentorship, free training, and paid workshops, she uplifts youth in Langa and beyond. Recognized as a 2019 Design Indaba Emerging Creative and Sasol New Signatures Catalogue Artist, her work is increasingly featured in national exhibitions, including the upcoming Stellenbosch Triennale 2025. 

About the Artwork
Joe’s vessels are textured, earthy, and deeply symbolic, often echoing traditional attire and ancestral dance. Her unique integration of recycled plastic adds environmental relevance, transforming discarded materials into vessels of memory, heritage, and healing.