I'm Lionel Davis, born in Cape Town, 1936
I'm 80 years of age
I'm also former Robben Island political prisoner.
The title of this piece is 'Reclamation'
It is not reclaiming only land
it's reclaiming our heritage
because we were forcefully removed
60,000 odd people were removed from District Six
because they were not white
and thrown onto the outskirts of South Africa
and it did not only happen in District Six
it happened all over South Africa
and the fight in the new dispensation, post-1994
in South Africa large swathes of people
have actually reclaimed the land
some are still waiting
others have already gone back.
So the fight is for the reclamation of that
which had been taken away by force.
But it's a self-portrait and I took it
further than just being a face but it
also encompasses my background
where I came from.
It is the street map of District Six.
This is where I was born, this is where I grew up
until I was arrested in 1963.
It was a time when we...there was no
privacy in our homes
there was no place in our homes
we lived 10 or more families in a tenement block
and so our playground was the street.
We only went home to eat,
to sleep, to have a wash
but otherwise we spent our times in the street.
So for me it was important to depict
that part of my life.
To the right of that
is a ground map of Robben Island.
Although I was a prisoner there for seven years
I also started working there
when they opened Robben Island as a museum
so I had lots of time association
with Robben Island
not as a place of banishment
but as a place of learning
of education
of bringing people together.
So that is why these two areas of land
are very important. Have been important
to my further development.
And then at the top of my face
there is a written piece
but again it revolves around my concern
about issues of identity
and the fact that black people are not satisfied
with being who they are.
There's always this need to look white
to dye their hair
to straighten their hair
and to lighten their faces.
It's a sickness that was there in my youth
it's a sickness that still prevails.
It is wanting to identify with something
which was foisted on them
it was not...how does one put it?
...an evolutionary development, acceptance
and so the vast majority of people are
fighting to reclaim their African identity.
And it's not only about blackness
because you can be white
and still be African.
And the fight for me is a question
of equality
of opportunity
equal opportunity.
And this is what liberation is about.
It's about being given the opportunity to become
the best that you can possibly be
and it's got nothing to do with the colour of your skin
or your ethnicity
whatever.
It is our right. It's our God given right
and this is what we are fighting for.
For me coming to an exhibition is an opportunity to learn.
I can craft
I can take from here
and incorporate it into my own work.
It's a building up, it's always a constant
learning process and I am
stimulated beyond measure when coming to
an exhibition of this nature
yes I take away with me a hell of a lot.
And whoever comes I believe learns something
something new.
Every day's an opportunity to open your eyes
and learn something new
about the world in which we live.
To find out more about South African art, click on the link in the description below.