Elizabeth Balindile Lindeni Bhengu’s telephone wire basket and sculpture designs combine both figurative and geometric elements. She is especially inspired by traditional Zulu bead work patterns from the Eshowe area and African animals. As a young girl, her father took the family on outings to the local nature reserve to see wild animals in their natural habitat – solidifying her love of nature at a very early age. In 2007, Elizabeth was one of several master weavers of The BAT Shop selected to participate in a special basket project commissioned by Oprah Winfrey for her South African Leadership Academy for Girls. The BAT Shop focuses on product development, training and mentoring, and the promotion and marketing of art and craft products from historically-disadvantaged groups and individuals residing in KwaZulu Natal.