Abstract expressionist painter George Masarira’s exhibition at Constitution Hill is a mirror of homelessness in African cities

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

This week I went to view Zimbabwean born artist George Masarira ’s exhibition at Number Four, as The Fort is now known in post Apartheid South Africa, a once notorious prison turned-museum at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. It used to be a place where political activists and freedom fighters suffered the indignity of being held in the same place as common criminals. This is a place where today’s celebrated freedom fighters such as the late Nelson Mandela and Gandhi served prison time for their political activism.

However ian ironic twist of history, both Mandela and Gandhi are today are celebrated as heroes to their people, having fought white supremacist ideas, colonialism and apartheid. In the case of Gandhi, first in South Africa, and later in his native India, and in Mandela’s case, in South Africa, becoming South Africa’s first president of a democratic country and hailed for his reconciliatory stance after taking the reins of power in 1994.

I am telling this story of these two men because both fought for the human rights of mainly the oppressed and the marginalised in society. They became triumphant eventually and led their people to freedom and dignity. Released and relieved from the yoke of oppression and suppression.

Seeing this exhibition, that is currently on till April 7, 2024. Taking place in the context of March, regarded generally as Human Rights Month in South Africa, with the actual day, March 21, 2024, being the official Human Rights Day, aptly marked by the annual Human Rights Festival on the same day, within the Constitution Hill precinct, Masarira’s solo exhibition has a close connection to conditions of the marginalised in society. Therefore A home is Not A Country carries contextual weight regarding the complicated history of the Fort and its track record when it comes to issues of human rights violations of the past..

A home is Not A Country is hosted as part of the human rights festival 2024 by Madlozi Contemporary Art, Constitution Hill Creative Uprising Hub, and We-The-People.

A home is Not A Country is essentially an art exhibition and intervention by Masarira to raise the plight and issues of marginality faced by the poor and struggling in both his country Zimbabwe and South Africa. The exhibition raises difficult questions through these pieces of acrylic on canvas and paper, about the lives of those that call an open space home as they struggle to find a space they can call home in harsh urban environments. This is because urban cities are notorious for turning properties into expensive commodities mainly accessible to those with good cash, while the poor are left to find a means of their own to eke out a living and find a place to rest and sleep.

 Through this exhibition you will be taken into the overcrowded streets of Harare where hustling for a living is a daily occurrence as the economy has been dramatically turned from a formal orderly sector into a chaotic extremely informal activity only the street-wise can survive while the rest are pushed into the margin. You will find a crowd of money exchangers in the streets, dealing in the much-sought after US dollar there as the local currency is wracked with run -away inflation and rendered worthless. Through these art works, you will also witness how authorities act to deal with the chaos, often using violence as they try to contain the chaotic environment created by poverty and human displacement in urban spaces.

However A home is Not A Country has a close ring here in South Africa as one only needs to walk the overcrowded streets of Johannesburg CBD, to witness how similar chaos to those stalking and choking the streets of Harare are mirrored here. The Johannesburg CBD’s economy has over the years turned from a formal activity into an informal chaos. You will for example struggle to walk in Johannesburg’s streets without avoiding stepping on someone’s bananas, apples, sweets and even gizzards as these have become a feature of street life.

“While this exhibition is a continuation of the work I did last year, through a solo exhibition I had in the Women’s Jail, in this exhibition, I also responded to the space, and I really like this space because its look and feel are perfect for the issues of human rights and the plight of the poor in urban spaces who occupy empty buildings and open spaces in order to create a home.

There are definitely parallels between what is happening in South Africa’s urban spaces and what the situation is in Harare. In most , what is happening right now, is a legacy of colonialism where only white people mainly had access to properties while black people did not. If you for example, look at the beautiful buildings in Cape Town, you will realize that none of them is owned by black people,” Masarira told CITYLIFE/ARTS in an interview as he took us on a walk-about of the exhibition, accompanied by curator and gallery owner Beathur Mgoza Baker.

“This exhibition is an example of art raising the issue of human rights. The issue of the poor occupying urban spaces to create a sense of home. A home is not the same thing for everyone. Until recently for example, I was based in Cape Town for the past three years, and while there, I knew of a poor person, who perched a shack for a home up on a tree.

What we will do as a an expansion of this exhibition, is to work with other collaborators, particularly from the architectural profession to get their input on issues of buildings. There will be a panel discussion that will take place in South Africa as well as in Portugal in collaboration with architectural academics from Wits University (one of them is from Portugal),” explained Mgoza Baker. 

Masarira (b 1990) in this exhibition the talented abstract expressionist painter asks critical questions about what it means to belong, the impact of forced migration, uprootedness and the importance of ‘home’. He debuts new works for the exhibition, following on from his successful exploration of equally critical themes in ‘Jambanja, Urban Chaos Interrputed’ that had a short season in the Women’s Jail section of the Constitution Hill precinct late last year.

‘My work in A Home Is Not A Country  explores how Jambanja delves into the heart of this tumultuous journey of survival, drawing parallels from life within various cities and informal settlements in South Africa and Zimbabwe where I observed conditions are similar. The humanity I tried to capture in my portraits, the tenacity and raw emotions in the paintings are a reflection of the determination to survive against the odds. 

This work is testament to the indomitable spirit of the people who transform chaos and invisibility, economic deprivation and destitution into a different kind of art – the art of survival, and living with hope. We invite you to explore the exhibition and see their journeys to witness and reflect upon the honesty and courage, the humanity and truth I have tried to capture in the works on show,” explains Masarira

Masarira reflects on his paintings in the exhibition and how they reflect his own experiences growing up poor and constantly moving and watching his parents exchange their labour for survival. He responds to the drive each person has to improve their lives and economic situation and to rise above the odds stacked up against them – especially when living in a foreign country with no resources and support – both in his country of birth and in cities around South Africa.

“We would like to extend an invitation to the surrounding communities to come and view this exhibition on Fridays and Thursdays as those days are free days to come and visit,” invites Mgoza Baker.