I won a competition to paint a mural for the Goldsmiths Student’s Union. They put out a call for submissions to produce a ‘new liberation mural’ it was shortlisted and from there it was left to a student vote.
It’s a black liberation piece. I’m from South Africa, and although I didn’t live through the anti apartheid movement, it’s still very much part of my history.
The idea is that if you look at the piece from left to right, you’ll see a timeline of progress towards liberation, personified by the key people in history who made an impact on the movement. As you follow it along, the lines gradually become less rigid and more colourful and free flowing, drawing your eyes to Nelson Mandela on the far right as the last and most recent figure of racial equality.
I also tried to include people who may have not had as much public recognition for their political impact as they deserved. For example, I could have included Martin Luther King, who is such a leading and familiar figure, but instead I chose to feature Assata Shakur who also made significant contributions to black equality. Also featured in the mural is Rosa Parks, Sekou Odinga, Frantz Fanon and an unnamed black man forced to use a black water fountain.