The book Home Away from Home celebrates the beautiful life of Soweto from two love struck Europeans: a poet and essayist and a painter

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

I first met Kasper Bechsgaard in an overcrowded Weed Lovers’ Market, that place in Marshalltown, Johannesburg CBD, which to be honest I have a complicated relationship with. I am sure others too have similar feelings and experiences with it. But boy people in Johannesburg simply love it to bits, such as on that occasion when Kasper a writer and his girlfriend Sophie, both from Denmark were there. On the night there was a fully-fledged poetry session that featured some of Johannesburg’s prominent poets, among whom in the house were Vangile Gantsho, Makafula Vilakazi and Mak Manaka.

But it took Bafana Zembe to connect me with Sophie Ohmsen, Kasper’s partner, in that overcrowded venue for things to move fast from there on. Zembe is a man who has found his niche in the visual art sector in South Africa by hanging artworks at some of the exciting exhibitions and art fairs in the country. He calls himself installation curator, a title I suspect he invented it himself.

But anyway, it took a simple invite on my part to both Kasper and Sophie to attend an exhibition opening at The Melrose gallery the following day and after the exhibition Kasper and I ended up talking about books the entire afternoon as we sipped you-know-what. I guess we both needed that fuel to talk about a subject both us as it turned out we love.

That is when Kasper spoke about his indeed is fascination of writing about South Africa in general and Soweto in particular, and how over the past few years he has fallen in love with Soweto and its people, their humility and ubuntu even as they seemingly face challenges daily.

“In my book I am writing about Soweto as an outsider. Sometimes people do not see the beauty of what they have. You guys have a wonderful life that we in Europe can only dream of. The friendship, the connections and generally the accommodating spirit of Sowetans, ever smiling and welcoming ton strangers,” Kasper told me then.  I was intrigued though honestly not surprised.

That was two months ago. Just for the record, Kasper and Sophie are from Denmark, but have been making South Africa in general, and Soweto in particular, their second home for the past few years since they discovered this part of the world. Call it home away from home, or second home, if you like. This is after Kasper spent his formative years in East Africa, as well as West Africa, connecting in a significant way with the ways of how Africans live their lives there. But as he grew older, he explored more, including finding out more about southern Africa. He fell in love with South Africa eventually, a love he now shares with his partner Sophie.

Fast forward to about three weeks ago, I found myself strolling the streets of Brixton, on my usual long walks that I sometimes undertake. And for some reason, I decided, as a last-minute decision, to pop in at that cool place in Brixton, an eatery which also hosts a book shop, to just say hello before I proceeded on my journey to nowhere.

But it was as if Sophie and Kaper’s ancestral spirits were calling me.

“Hi. Kasper and I are glad that you have made it,” Sophie said as she welcomed me at the entrance. She was standing beside a table where newly printed copies of Home Away from Home were meticulously laid out as she gave me a warm hug.

I hesitated. I was not sure what she was talking about until she pointed on the table. “So here is the book.” I understood.

Kaper and Sophie had sent me an email inviting me to the launch, but for some reason I had missed the email in my inbox.

The launch of Home Away from Home, an engaging book that employs touching poetry, short engaging essays, poignant photography about life in Soweto (by Kasper) and powerful paintings also portraying life mainly in Soweto, both in its abstract form and not so subtle (by Sophie) is indeed a book that shows the extent to which the beauty of this country and its people have touched these two Danish artists.

Most of the text and poetry by Kasper contrast the destruction visited on this earth by capitalism and greed mainly perpetrated by the West, juxtaposing that with the beauty of the simplicity of life, the love shown to him and his partner by the people of Soweto, who despite apparent challenges of being in need are willing to share their lives and humanity with strangers like Kasper and Sophie.

“I am a painter. If I should paint Kasper, I would paint him divided in two. One side in a bright red and another side in a beautiful dark blue, like a night sky. I would paint him surrounded by people. Kasper is a friend, a listener and what I like most about him is that no matter who you are, he will treat you equal, make you seen and valued,” writes Sophie in the foreword to Home Away from Home.”

And though there is that small matter of them being partners, creating the possibility of inherent bias in Sophie’s eyes, those who attended the book launch at Breeze Block on that evening will, attest to what Sophie is saying. The event was attended by several prominent people in Johannesburg, ranging from musicians, artists, writers, journalists to those in the tourism sector. And these are the networks Kasper and Sophie have created since they discovered South Africa and its beautiful people, who have embraced him and his partner fully, making him part of the family of creatives in Johannesburg. Trombonist Malcolm Jiyane performed beautifully on the evening, interspersing his set with showering praises on Kasper and vowing that he was one day going to attend the launch of the book in Denmark.

Johannesburg is indeed Kasper and Sophie’s second home, instead of North America and Europe that some mistakenly think is where life is. Kasper’s sentiment is well captured by the below short poem:

”i feel alone in the cold north
with all my warm thoughts
my friends say to cheer up
but the chaos surrounds me
greenwashing and climate changing
robots, bombs and drones
ain’t solution
we failed by all the institutions
the only true change is human
wake up brother
we needa be drumming.”

This book is indeed a beautiful book that reveals the beauty within us that some times we do not see.

This book is a celebration of the beautiful life of Soweto from two love struck Europeans, a poet and essayist and a painter. All the 437 pages will keep you engaged and even fall in love with yourself again. It retails for R700. You can find out where to get you copy of the book from the illustration on this page.

The book has already been launched in Soweto where according to Kasper, a huge crowd attended the event. Sophie also held an exhibition of her artworks there, and both of them were shown some love by Sowetans. You too can show both artists some love by buying the book of a painting by Sophie.