On a Sunday morning in May, wind tore the temporary covering from the church that Wiseman Ndlovu pastors in KwaZulu-Natal, and the structure came down during the service. Two members of the congregation lost their lives. One of them was the aunt Wiseman shares with fellow ceramicist Senzo Duma. Fifteen more were taken to hospital.
Wiseman is one of the artists this gallery has represented for years. He sculpts and paints every piece himself in the workshop beside his home, and the church rises on the same land. When we shared his story, collectors answered. His works found new homes across the country, and the gallery carried that support to the rebuild as a donation made in your name.
This month, word came back from the site.
“Hi Ed thank you so much for the donation we managed to rebuild the wall for the church only left with the roofing and the floor thanks, Wiseman”
Wiseman Ndlovu, by message to Ed Pascoe, July 2026
Block by block.
The congregation is doing the building themselves. These photographs came from the site in July, taken at the end of a working day.
The roof, then the floor.
The walls stand at full height. The trusses and roof sheeting go up next, and the floor is poured once the room is covered. Work continues through the southern winter, and we will share the finished church here when Wiseman opens its doors.
The artist you stood behind.
Through all of it, the kiln beside the church has stayed warm. Wiseman keeps sculpting the animals of the bush and the stories he preaches, each piece built by hand, painted by hand, and signed. His current work is in the gallery.
Wiseman in the gallery
A stronger church, a stronger community. Thank you.