Tuesday 19th November, 7pm – 9pm: This Home of Ours

A photographic time capsule by Ayesha Kazim, highlighting the ever-changing landscape of Cape Town’s vibrant Bo-Kaap neighbourhood, emphasising the local community's dedication to preserving their cultural heritage amidst gentrification and continuous displacement.

When we think of what defines a home, the ideas that initially come to mind oftentimes speak to a specific geographical location or physical structure. Yet for many who are nomads, accustomed to the constant state of transition that involves moving from one country to the next, we ask ourselves: what binds a person to a place? Is it comfort? Familiarity? Or a grounded sense of faith in one’s community?

For some, the notion of a home can be traced back through one’s ancestral ties to a piece of land and certain customs that affirm one’s identity and connection to a specific group of people. For the residents of Bo Kaap, their relationship to the neighbourhood dates back to the 18th century, when their ancestors were brought over as slaves from Malaysia, Indonesia, and surrounding African countries to work under the Dutch East India Company.

Stretching from the top of Signal Hill down to Cape Town’s City Centre, today, Bo Kaap’s vibrantly coloured homes replace the once uniformly white palette that reflected the looming presence of the British and Dutch colonial powers. Throughout their history, the Coloured community, a multiracial ethnic group native to South Africa, has faced multiple cycles of displacement. After being uprooted from their homes abroad during the early Cape slave trade of the 17th century and forcefully segregated under the Apartheid regime, gentrification has become the latest threat to the predominantly Muslim community of Bo-Kaap.

Artist statement:

“This Home of Ours” acts as a contemporary time capsule of the neighbourhood’s rich history. At a time when both an influx of foreign residents and the lingering effects of the pandemic are endangering the livelihood of many residents, this series seeks to provide a platform of visibility that amplifies the voices of its residents and chronicles their experiences for generations to come. This work pays homage to the Bo Kaap community and the individuals that raised me for the first years of my life. Upon returning as a young adult, I captured these individuals through familial, intimate portraits in which I hope viewers will see themselves and their family members reflected in the work. In depicting Bo Kaap as more than its mesmerizingly colorful facade and its monetary value as a point of prime real estate, I aim to elucidate outsiders to its distinct character and its residents’ strong sense of unity. The textures and colors presented play an integral role in illustrating the energy and resilience of the community.

Cracked paint and multi-colored storefronts shout: We Are Here in the same way that carefully placed “Save Our Heritage” posters draw attention to the community’s fight to preserve the essence of the neighbourhood. Through individual and group portraits, and depictions of the varied landscape, this work aims to showcase how the Bo Kaap culture has evolved at the intersection of race, religion, and identity.

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