He creates signature classics by bringing the traditional and modern together. Staying true to his roots by creatively re-interpreting his cultural heritage and being guided by a deep spiritual connection to his Xhosa ancestors, his ceramic artworks are a metaphorical vessel through which he seeks to honour his cultural traditions.
He has come a long way from his small hometown in the rural Eastern Cape. Before making his name in 2003 with a solo exhibition at the Irma Stern Museum in Cape Town, he studied at Sivuyile Technical College in Gugulethu and at the Port Elizabeth Technikon.
In 2005, he and Zizipho Poswa co-founded Imiso Ceramics, whose handmade tableware and vessels have earned the studio an international following.
As part of the Southern Guild stable, he made his international solo debut with Camagu, at New York gallery Friedman Benda in 2016. The exhibition’s title is a Xhosa term expressing gratitude, spoken in particular when acknowledging one’s ancestors, which has become his much-used mantra.
Thongo (Ancestral Dreamscape), an extensive series of sculptural ceramic seating, premiered in the artist’s rural community before being exhibited at Southern Guild in Cape Town (2020) and Friedman Benda in New York (2021).
Dyalvane’s work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pérez Museum, Design Museum Gent, Vitra Design Museum, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramic Museum, Iziko South African National Gallery, NMMU Art Museum in Port Elizabeth, and the Corobrik Ceramics Collection.
The artist has exhibited at museums all over the world, including the National Art Museum of China, Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Vitra Design Museum and Iziko South African National Gallery. He has taken part in number of biennales including the inaugural Indian Ocean Triennial in Perth, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramic Museum Biennale, Tel Aviv Biennale of Crafts and Design, and Jinju Traditional Crafts Biennale.
Southern Guild has presented Dyalvane’s work at fairs including Expo Chicago, Design Miami, Design Miami/ Basel, Investec Cape Town Art Fair, The Salon Art + Design, among others.
A member of the International Academy of Ceramics, he is frequently invited to share his knowledge through master classes and workshops around the world and has earned residencies at prestigious institutions, including Leach Pottery in the UK and the Academy of Ceramics Gmunden in Austria.
He is the recipient of multiple recognitions, including the 2015 Design Foundation Icon Award and a Special Mention as a finalist in the 2022 LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize.