A PRELUDE



Our little Miss Yucki is all alone,
she has been abandoned by her parents,
destitute on the treacherous South African streets.
Now she calls her trolley home and pushes it into
quiet alleyways when the world is too bright and
noisy.

It is here behind the facade of tall sparkling buildings
that our little Miss Yucki ekes out her existence...
here she plays and dreams.
She creeps around downtown Johannesburg
lurking in the shadows and
skipping out through the puddles of sunshine...
Johannesburg is her lonely haunt,
her playground,
her dreamscape,
her city.

As She scratches through trash,
sifting out treasures,
her yuckis call to her.

She tilts her head her tangled hair
dangles in front of her eyes;
she raises an eyebrow and
moves closer towards the sound.
Deeper she crawls through gritty dust and
shifty shadows...
there she's spotted them now,
huddling defiant in the fleeting sunlight.
MissYucki has discovered her only friends,
The Muti Monsters.
They draw pictures in the sand with sticks and
watch as an afternoon thunderstorm slides down
the skyscrapers and comes rushing down
Commissioner Street
.....towards them........

Quickly she gathers them and they bundle
into the trolley...together they skid and skate,
careening down the street.....

Miss Yuckis Adventures have begun....
With her new found friends' help she learns to
mix and concoct love potions,
she is taught divination and sells fortunes in
Braamfontein.

Slowly, as her muti minions watch over andguide her,
our little Miss Yucki becomes a witch doctor,
hawking her wares to the city...

Together with her tokoloshies,
she plans mischievous escapades....
they run rampant all over Johannesburg,
trolley and muti potions in tow...
causing mayhem and rainbow love juice
explosions...

Miss Yuckis favourite scheme is to be
the best and yuckiest little miss pageant queen..
Miss Yucki is after all a little pavement Princess
and what would a princess do without Pageants
to enter.....
so with her minions traipsing after her
she sidles her way into turfontein...
and takes the crown for Little Miss Turfontein....
aaah
the glorious joy....
being queen of the pageant suits her best!

But watch out other hopeful contestants...
Icki mucki and sicki might get you......

Perhaps next time you visit Johannesburg you
will stumble across our little
princess of the pavement....
Miss Yucki.

View the animation

THE DREAM



She was all alone.
It had been many
days since she had last
combed her hair, changed her clothes,
played a game or seen a friendly friend,
and many more since she last
had any warm cuddles.
The truth was numbing.
She was abandoned.
Naptime in the alleyways
seemed her nearest comfort.

So there it was,
nestled and napping,
that she drifted off
into a curiously familiar space of
dream delights.
Puzzling through labyrinths of
rainbow love beams
she began to realize that
her dream that night
was more than just ordinary
it was more than just a dream.
It was the beginning of
her tremendous fortunes,
a premonition of grand Yuckiness.
The beginning of Missyucki bliss.

There was bouncing
and reeling
and playtime
beyond despair.
She saw herself pretty
and happy
with long pink sparkly hair.
She had friends that were there.
Friends that did care.

But who were these new buddies,
these blithe murky playmates?
They like the dream
were not usual too.
They like the dream were
the beginning of the new......

View the animation

THE VISITATION



She awoke form the grime.
Not unsteady but readied.
Some how she knew it would all be quite fine.

On peering out from her damp dingy quarters
she noticed that the day was alarmingly new.
The air about her quivered
and a stark silence
made the looming haze seem slow.
This day was altogether dreamy yet altogether true.

It was then in the haze
that she saw something not quite there.
Something lurking, faces smirking,
something or someone that made her glare.
These visions,
they beckoned,
they pulled at her will.
They made her go closer and closer and closer still.

Crouched in the shadows
she was led through dark alleys
and between sticky chill.
It was a Yucki visitation.

Her dream it now seemed
had been more than all that.
She could feel it was real.
It was Yucki and great.
These moments were set
to define her sweet fate.

The creatures had come to make her their own,
to help her be happy to give her a home.
Tokoloshies they were.
Muti monsters by day.
Misguided, mistrusted
and oh so ready to play.

From that moment on
she became their Miss Yucki,
They would teach her their ways,
diving in dreams,
gathering trash treasure.
They became a tight team.

No longer would Miss Yucki be alone.
Mucki and Icki and Sicki were there..
muti monster minions.
They would live together
in amongst the streets
and under the pavements.
They would hawk their trash treasures
and play all the way to the top.

The Yucki is upon us
and now it cannot stop.


View the animation

THE MUTI SHOP



Missyucki approached cautiously,
her grubby little hands twitching
with tense anticipation.
She had been noticed by few but
nevertheless felt consumed by
the streets vibration.

Would someone notice her new friends?
Would they discover her?..It seemed not,
it seemed that she alone could see
the muti monsters romping.
She alone knew of the grand yucki plot.

They had many supplies
to gather that day? herbs and rare relics,
dried bones and fresh skins,
a new bowl to mix in, to blend muti
for tricksing. They had many remedies
to make and love potions to brew.
It was time to set up yucki shop but
nobody quite knew.

Missyucki you see was destined to be
a pavement princess of distinction.
She would sell her trash wares and
power on sans restriction.
The rainbow love groove was on its way
and with some muti fixing,
everyday would be a yucki day.

She stepped into the muti shop?
it was indeed gloomy and stuffy and dank.
Filled with treasures for the yucki muti tank.
There were curious creatures
suspiciously prone,
jars of libation, things dead, things bone.

Mucki and Icki charged ahead
for their booty.
They picked from the finest
to mix in their muti.
Things hot and things vrot, things carved
from vintage Hottentot.
A potent dose to stew

They were delirious and swooning ,
in a frenzy of yuck. The muti shop
had transfixed them.

View the animation

THE PAGEANT



The day dawned bright and sparkly
Miss Yucki had a good feeling in her tummy
Last nights dream-stalking had been very
Foretelling....
She pushed back her lounging
Muti monsters and stretched in the sunlight..
The dew had cleaned her hair and
her trolley twinkled,
A little metal jewel in the alley..

The pageant had come...

She had cooked, stirred and brewed
The preparations were almost ready
And fumes had billowed and shifted,
Really, it had all been quite heady...

So now to work she went
The last titbits went in..mmmh so fruity
the minions were mixin and lickin
Infusing their own special muti....

Perfect it was
A delicious confection
all frothy pink icing
with sprinkles and
magical rainbow spicing
It was strawberry swirl with a touch of malice
Fit for any princess in any palace

Aaah pageant contestant number one
What have you done?
To deserve such scratches and nips
This is for you with much yucki love...
Its for munching an scrunching and licking of lips

Aaah Pageant contestant number two
Could it be you?
A slice will suffice,
To turn you blue
And nothing can change it
Look spots, ewww!
You ll have every right to have a fit!
But next time read the label
before you eat a bit!

Aaah Pageant contestant number three
Where could you be...
Have some cake with your tea
Its yummy, Miss Yucki made it just for you..
mmmmmh.

So with a backward glance and hidden grin
Miss yucki and the monsters knew they would win!

The lights dimmed
The contestants preened and pranced
To the roll of the drum they all danced

But oh my!
what a sight the audience beholds
For every little girl is not quite right,
with spots and swirls
and polka dots

Purple and green and
pink and pink and yellow
all huddled
and muddled
What could be wrong?
Tee Hee!
Miss yucki comes along!

Shes the best
She ll beat all the rest
For no magical colour does she wear

Contestant 2 has tears on her cheecks
Contestant 3 is grinding her teeth!
But our Misguided Miss Yucki,
she has the crown
For a witch doctor in training - she past the test
and sicki and icki and mucki are so proud
They all believe in the YUCKI


View the animation

THE RAINY DAY



It was chilly out,
but Miss Yucki and her minions didn't mind...
they kicked along
shuffling through dry fallen leaves...
on their way to the children's play ground....
Miss Yuckis favourite metal riding horse was there...
She loved this peeling contraption as it squeaked to
and fro rolling Miss Yuckis head around
on her shoulders....
She would ride it and the world would swing back and forth....
her yuckis blurs on the swings now or blurs on the grass later...

They would spend hours here poking around
and playing on the rides or lying on the hill
watching clouds...
Miss Yucki would divine behind the big tree...
her yuckis keeping an eye open...
Or they would catch bugs....
And cause trouble with the ant hill.

The rain came suddenly
as it usually does when you aren't looking up.
Big fat wet drops dripped off the trees first,
a yucki growled, his horns suddenly wet.
But Miss Yucki laughed,
she had just seen a
crusty umbrella rotting at the gate to the park...
Off she skipped to retrieve it and with a wrenching
sound and a shower of rust...
the yuckis and her had some shelter from the rain...
they busied themselves jumping in the newly formed puddles...
And then Miss Yucki discovered the drain...
My!...
What a torrent there was!
Lovely brown water rushing along and being sucked into slimy
depths below the children's park...
Miss Yucki was delighted...
It was just the right place to float yucki boats...
Quickly she ordered her minions to her....
They stood to attention,
only one let out a mischievous grin...
They listened attentively
to the plan for building boats....
and then rushed off to corners of the park
scattered here and there,
hunting for boat building treasure....

In not a moment they had a little fleet of
newspaper boats all with different headlines...
'Police Find...' was the first off on a lost
race towards the drain....in it slipped,
leaping about, only to be sucked
down...down...down.....

'Today's Weather...' did much better pirouetting
about ....it almost slipped right over
the drain...but at the last moment it
too was dragged down by a whirlpool....

'in Sports...' had to be helped into the dank drain
with a few persuasive sticks...

The wind started to blow and Miss Yucki decided
it was time to go?.the yuckis agreed,
nap time was calling and so with their
trolley in tow they trundled back to town,
to find their favourite alley....

View the animation

POETRY


BRAAMFONTEIN BLISS

Braamfontein alone ness is
blissfull abandon.
So totally free.


OUTSIDE THE MUTI SHOP
A shadow encroaches
A divination approaches
The muti all charged with delight

She steps a pace nearer
The streets leer to see her
She bursts through certainties might

All about items murmer, burble and drone
Curious creatures suspiciously prone
A frenzy of wonders most dead and alone.

LITTLE MISS TURFONTEIN



Misguided MIssyucki-
She wins all the shows
So pretty?
So lucky?
No body quite knows.

THEY CAME FROM THE DRAIN

They came from the drain
Slipped down all the same
drawn by the call of Missyucki

She bent on one knee
and beckoned with glee
as her minions came diving and ducking

View the animation

ARTISTS STORY



One afternoon, during one of Johannesburg's typically violent summer thunderstorms, Kat and Alba were in The Attic as usual. While the storm was raging outside, they were musing over collective past, present and future. At the time, they had no way of knowing that in a few minutes they would be interrupted by a curious visitation that would change the course of their lives for ever.

As the storm drew to a close, the sun's rays peered through the rolling clouds and beams of light emerged in slow motion. Rainbows filled the sky and the city of Johannesburg glistened in the afternoon sunlight. The rain had washed the city and the air, and distorted reflections of gleaming buildings played in the muddy puddles.

At first, the dead silence that had descended upon the city seemed to be a natural lull in contrast to the preceding storm, but after a few moments distant giggles floated through the air. Intrigued, Kat and Alba stepped outside, and followed the strange sounds drawn by this mysterious force.

~~~ The street was awfully quiet, even for the small side-street, and as they tiptoed closer to the source of the sounds, they were able to make out a distinct disco beat in the wake of the giggles. Raising eyebrows, they walked further down the road and caught a glimpse of a little Yucki girl skipping through the puddles as she turned the corner towards the main road. She was closely followed by a troupe of hideous little monsters who grinned their unsightly grins as they spun and whirled in playful mischief.

I wasn't there to see it, but it is said that on the day Miss Yucki appeared, time stood still in Jo'burg. Hawkers were silenced, pigeons froze in mid-flight, people rushed on but went nowhere, taxis were immobilised as they screeched soundlessly around the corner, and the last few raindrops floated as if unsure which way was down. For a brief time, Yuckis ruled Joburg and were free to spread their rainbow love groove everywhere. Pageant power dominated and muti filled the air as they hopped over rainbows and sparkles floated in their trail as they played on and out of sight.

After a moment that lasted an eternity, the world sped up, hawkers cried their wares, feathers flew, people rushed on by, engines revved, tyres screeched, hooters honked and the city was once again a buzzing, bleeping, humming hive of activity. Few noticed the mischievous giggles that continued to echo over the racket.

~~~ But Kat and Alba were mesmerized by the moment, and it has changed their lives forever. They now seek to fulifill their destiny by documenting the life of their precious little misguided Miss Yucki.

Miss Yucki: Vital Statistics


Eye colour
Black, purple, pink, green
Eyelashes
Long and luscious
Skin
Rainbow hues. It changes with her mood, sometimes purple,
sometimes pink, sometimes blue.
Height
Three feet.
Fashion
MissYucki loves to play dress up. She is a master of disguise and her super power is in fact her pageant power. She is always on the look out for dashing new styles, outfits and ways to transform herself.
Miss Yucki is a little pageant princess at heart, and every princess loves clothes. She is never far from her accessories, and loves to try on new outfits for her pageants. From pavement trash-treasure trawling outfits to glam sparklepuff jumpsuits for her african-muti cursing escapades, Miss Yucki struts her stuff and reveals a myriad of dress up identities to suite her many playful moods! Infact you can help her find the best outfit by clicking here -
Miss Yucki's Dress-up Bonanza!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Miss Yucki's favourite colour?
A: Rainbow colour. More specifically, anything with pink and glitter.

Q: Who is Miss Yucki's dream date?
A: This is secret.

Q: What is Miss Yucki's favourite time of day?
A: Dreamtime.

Q: What is Miss Yucki's best trash find?
A: Her tiara and her magic trolley.

Q: What is Miss Yucki's ultimate goal?
A: To be the number one pageant princess.

To ask Miss Yucki your very own Question email her!
Click Here!
Don't Delay...Miss Yucki will reveal her secrets!

Muti Facts

Miss Yuckis' muti monster minions, her gang of
little yuckis, are intrinsically inspired by
two widespread facets of African mysticism
and folklore. Notably the legend of the
African Tokoloshe as well as the practice
of using Muthi (pronounced muti) to divine,
cure, curse and heal.



The tokoloshe is a perplexing entity.
There are many varying reports which
try to define the exact nature and
characteristics of the tokoloshe but the
over riding essence of them all deal with it
being a paranormal creature. Mischievous in
nature but not necessarily malevolent.

Some reports claim that the Tokoloshe is a
dwarf like zombie. Some say that it has sharp
teeth and a long probing tongue. Some say
that it is a shape shifter. Or a creature that only
children can see, who puts a magical pebble
under its tongue to make it invisible to adults.
A creature that tempts you. A debaucherous
malefactor.

All in all the Tokoloshe is as enigmatic
creature of legend and dreams. Often feared,
often manipulated and infinitely curious and
beguiling.

Muti is more a mode of fact than legend.
The word is used broadly throughout South
Africa and essentially means medicine. It is a
type of traditional non western style of
medicine.



It employs both sympathetic
magic as well as brews of remedies conjured
from blends of herbs, animal remains,
sometimes human remains and always with
a hint of enchanted faith, either auspicious
or gloomy.

ICKI


Icki Yuckis are the most potent
breed of Muti monsters and can
easily be identified by their grand
twisty horns.




Icki Yucki iphupho( dream in zulu
) is Missyuckis most beloved
companion and chief mentor.
His specialmuti power is
dream stalking, which
allows him to infiltrate peoples
and animals dreamscapes.
There he can steal and implant
snippets of dreams and nightmares.
If ever you are having very yucki
dreams its probably because
Icki Yucki iphupho is visiting.

Icki Yucki iphupho loves a
good time and when he is
not stalking dreams
you will find him listening
to loud Kwaito music and stealing
a ride in wild taxis as they speed
through Johannesburg.

He also loves to poke and play
with shongololos.

MUCKI

Mucki Yuckis are the most
mischievous of all the
Yucki breeds .
They can be identified by their
stripy bodies and sharp
pointy horns.




Mucki Yucki ganga (naughty in zulu)
is Missyuckis number one play mate
and second in command of the muti monster gang.
His special Muti power is shape twisting,
which allows him to turn people
and things into any shape he can think of.
If you wake up in the morning all blue with spots then you know
Mucki Yucki ganga has been playing a trick on you.

Mucki Yucki ganga loves riding
in Missyuckis trolley and is a
big fan of chasing chickens.

SICKI

Sicki Yuckis are the cutest of all
the Muti Monster breeds.
They are also the friendliest,
the most cuddly
and the most likely to give you good luck.
They are also the most temperamental,
so watch out,
because if you don't cuddle them as often as they want
they will curse you with terrible sickness.
They look a bit like monkeys and can be easily identified
by their bendy tails, and bone suits.




Sicki Yucki gula (sick in zulu)
is Missyuckis premium cuddle
buddy and bone throwing guru.
His special Muti power is
divination through bone
throwing and diagnosing
troubles. If you are feeling
Yucki and you don't know
why best you try find Sicki Yucki
gula so that he can get to
the bottom of it.
Be sure to give him a cuddle though
or else your ailments may just
get a whole lot worse.
When Sicki Yucki gula is not
consulting the bones or
cuddling stray pidgeons
he can be found swinging
and leaping from telephone
wires and poles across
the city

BACKGROUND




Miss Yucki is a character creation of one Alba Poretti and Kat Cameron. Born and raised in South Africa, they have been friends from the moment they met at university in the dying years of the 20th century. Since then, many years of collaborative work and many hours of creative contemplation have given rise to a close friendship. Fuelled by endless cups of espresso, and a love of all things pink, they have spent many afternoons in The Attic, where they would concoct cunning plans for World Domination.

Since her humble beginnings as random doodles, Miss Yucki has grown into a complex and multifaceted character that embodies Alba and Kat?s desire to create and design. Miss Yucki serves as a vehicle for exploration the artists? own identities within the context of the New South Africa as well as of various themes evident in daily life in urban Africa. The questions of urbanism, race, heritage, identity, positionality and new Africanism in the face of rapid urbanization are subtly and tactfully explored from Miss Yucki?s perspective. Miss Yucki provides us with a valuable set of eyes through which to view the world and she provides us with a spectrum of perspectives ranging from a playful, fantastical interpretation of daily life to scathing criticism of our societal values. The contrast between her youthful energy of childhood and strength and wisdom of adulthood is a direct result of Miss Yucki?s somewhat tragic life on the streets of Johannesburg where, in spite of the hard reality of life, she manages finds all kinds of treasures that bring her joy.

Alba and Kat aim to deconstruct the stereotypical images of Africa and instead present a unique experience of urban Africa. Through Miss Yucki, they combine diverse elements from urban Africa with popular culture through various mediums such as illustration, animation, character & doll design, and urban-wear fashion accessories. Their influences include Surrealist pop, Asian art and traditional African folklore, but much of the Miss Yucki mythology draws on the African urban landscape for inspiration and one should seek an understanding of Johannesburg in order to understand Miss Yucki.

Since the late 1980s Johannesburg has experienced a downward spiral of negative inner city trends such as high unemployment, poverty, deterioration of the built environment, rapid urbanisation, overcrowding and crime. However, Johannesburg is still the economic powerhouse of Africa and multitudes of people from all over the African continent arrive in Johannesburg to seek their fortunes. Trans-national migration has resulted in the most culturally and ethnically diverse Johannesburg ever. However, the internationalisation of Johannesburg has given rise to a large measure of xenophobia. African foreign nationals are blamed for an overcrowded informal trading sector, the growth of the narcotics trade and general physical deterioration. This may or may not be true, but the fact remains the dynamics of inner city Johannesburg are as complex as they are varied and allow much room for an artist?s response and social commentary.

Neighbour is piled on top of relative in rows of dilapidated apartment blocks. The main roads are crammed with cars and there is always a taxi or a police van obstructing the flow of traffic. Street vendors jostle for position on the crumbling sidewalks to sell everything from individual cigarettes to vegetables. Car guards in faded garments whistle after potential customers. Groups of school children play on the pavements or crowd the arcade-game shops. Telephone lines crisscross balconies and reach down into the street. Informal telephone operators provide a service throughout the day and contribute to the complex social, economic and technological networks that cover continental Africa.

While this is characteristic of many cities throughout Africa (and the world), Johannesburg has recently experienced an intensified urban regeneration drive with varying degrees of success. This has resulted in islands of gentrified corporate developments amidst a sea of chaos. As the corporates fight to regain the inner city and the poor cling onto their livelihoods, downtown Joburg has become a space where high-powered businessmen can brush coats with the homeless and the destitute. This contributes to the creation of a multiple, dynamic, diverse, hybrid and fragmented spaces and identities. The streets of Johannesburg can be as cold and ruthless as exotic and vibrant. In this self-absorbed city, where the focus is always on winning the rat race (and score is measured in economic gain), people often become faceless and there is little room for sympathy.

This is city that forms the backdrop to the story of Miss Yucki and this is the city that Kat and Alba have grown to love over the years. Miss Yucki's adventures reflect the artists? own adventures, and the emerging imagery hints at their sense of the world. The narrative is constantly evolving as little misguided Miss Yucki gets up to her muti mischief on the streets of Johannesburg.