Phantom Sweetness

Gumede's work explores the connection between painful childhood memories and the possibility of healing. Growing up with an alcoholic and verbally abusive father, I experienced fear, conflict, and uncertainty. Play, imagination, and fantasy became ways to escape and feel safe. The glass gummy bears represent a distorted childhood, combining innocence and comfort with fragility and vulnerability.

Mohaladitwe (my birth name) meaning calla lily represents beauty, purity, growth, healing, and renewal. The work talks about how painful experiences can remain anchored within us while we continue to grow. Through creativity, vulnerability can become strength, and pain can be transformed into healing and beauty.