For his recent solo exhibition at Goodman Gallery Johannesburg, "The Past and the Present… Now is the Time", Sam Nhlengethwa created a series of works which deal with memorialising past events that define and epitomise historical South African political discourses, in order to illustrate the underpinnings and foundations of present activist efforts. The series ultimately challenges South Africans to question and examine actions taken in the construction of their democracy.
This hand-woven mohair tapestry depicts a cover of Drum, the famous magazine that ran from 1951 and which was responsible for exploring the zeitgeist of the 1950s and 1960s. Drum has come to symbolise the sense of abandonment that Black Johannesburg denizens experienced at the height of apartheid, the ramifications of which can still be felt in the present. Underlying the images is the narrative of identity and citizenship articulated through dynamic ideas on belonging, equality and universality.
