Nonhlanhla is the daughter of Ottilia Nxumalo, who painted for Ardmore Ceramics in the ‘Berg, and was one of Ardmore’s leading painters.

Nonhlanhla was born in 1980 in the Loskop area and attended Sisatina High School in Estcourt where no art was taught. Her mother provided what the school could not and in 2001 began to teach her to paint ceramics.

She encouraged her daughter to leave the ‘Berg and to go and work with Fée Halsted at Ardmore in Caversham.

Learning under the watchful eye of Fée and celebrated artists like Punch Shabalala and Wonderboy Nxumalo, Nonhlanhla has improved her skills and used her natural talent to produce wonderful ceramic works, while still retaining the wonderful rich colours of her mother’s palette.

Since 2004 she has participated in all major Ardmore exhibitions in London, New York, Paris, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Nonhlanhla is unmarried and has one son who lives with her mother at Mangweni in the beautiful Champagne Valley. Her dream is to give her son – who she supports alone – the best education she can and to build a house for her family.