'The Encounter'

The complementary works Refuge and uMcedo (both 2009) are winners for me. The three cowhide torsos in Refuge kneel up against a wall, as if trying to disappear into it, while the cow tail-covered uMcedo, half a hut leaning against the wall, provides a space for the viewer to do the same. The title reinforces this sense of a comfort zone, referring to the talisman in this shape - usually made of banana leaves - worn by young men for protection.

In some instances though, the many references literally fight one another. Emabutfo (2009) (an army of young men, in Swazi), consists of a whole battalion of Zombie-ish cowhide figures, marching forward to confront Nandikeshvara (2009), the bull ridden into battle by Shiva, in Hindu myth. This makes for a slightly unwieldy mixed metaphor.

Elsewhere, the bull-on-bull action continues, commenting insightfully on the relationship between victim and aggressor. In The Rape of Europa (2009) a photographic composite, Mntambo plays both the Minotaur and Europa, and in the video Ukungenisa (2008) - in which Mntambo re-enacts a bullfight - she plays both bull and matador. I’m not wild about the photographic composites, or the bronze, for that matter, but this is nevertheless a strong show.