The Ifa Lethu Foundation of South Africa has spearheaded another landmark event in the country. This October, it partnered with the SABC as they came together to present Still We Rise, a landmark exhibition of artworks made during South Africa's Apartheid years.
This partnership, through the exhibition theme, bridges the G20's global significance with South Africa's unique cultural voice. Having opened at the Atrium, Keyes Art Mile on Thursday, 30 October, the exhibition will run until Sunday, 23 November, coinciding with the G20 Summit — the first to be hosted on African soil, says the foundation.
Rooted in memory, resistance and resilience, Still We Rise showcases artworks created between 1948 and 1994, with a few works from the post-Apartheid period included for their piercing retrospective gaze. Together, these works highlight the courage and creativity of artists who persevered despite censorship, oppression and the violent realities of Apartheid. Many of the works on show were created in exile and later repatriated, making their return to South Africa a poignant reminder of cultural survival against the odds, adds the foundation.
The exhibition's title plays on Maya Angelou's 1978 poem Still I Rise — a manifesto of defiance and dignity that resonates deeply within the South African context. In this rephrasing, the emphasis on "we" recognises the collective spirit of resistance, solidarity and shared survival that underpinned the struggle for liberation, says the foundation.
"This is a story of South Africa told through the eyes of artists who were silenced at home but found recognition abroad," says Dr Narissa Ramdhani, Director of the Ifa Lethu Foundation. "As we welcome the world to Johannesburg for the G20, we want visitors to understand South Africa beyond the headlines. These works remind us of the resilience of our artists, their determination to rise above adversity, and their refusal to be silenced."
As Johannesburg hosts the G20 Summit this year, Still We Rise takes on an added resonance. The international spotlight is fixed on South Africa, and this exhibition is both a commemoration of the past and a call to ethical leadership in the present. The launch event on Thursday, 30 October coincided with the W20 ministerial meeting, bringing women leaders from across the globe to Johannesburg, adds the foundation.
The Ifa Lethu Foundation Collection
Founded in 2005 through a partnership between the Australian Government and South Africa's Ministry of Arts and Culture, the Ifa Lethu Foundation is today the largest heritage repatriation organisation in the country. Its roots stretch back to two Australian diplomats, Diane Johnstone and the late Bruce Haigh, who in the 1970s and 80s acquired artworks from Black South African artists working under repression, opening their homes for exhibitions in defiance of Apartheid law, says the foundation.
Years later, Johnstone and Haigh donated their collections back to South Africa, forming the nucleus of what is now the Ifa Lethu Heritage Collection. Today, more than 550 works from 16 countries have been returned, encompassing paintings, drawings, sculptures, carvings and prints, adds the foundation.
Over the past two decades, Ifa Lethu has extended its mission beyond repatriation to cultural entrepreneurship, human rights education and youth empowerment. More than 2 400 young South Africans have been trained in creative business, resulting in over 800 small enterprises established in rural and township communities. Its global footprint includes multiple exhibitions including: the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Africa Day in Australia in 2011, the London Olympics in 2012, the French Seasons in Paris and the Lord Mayors FTSE 100 Event in London in 2014, to name a few, says the foundation.
The Foundation begins its 20th anniversary celebrations this year, with programmes running through 2026. Plans include the launch of the Ifa Lethu Annual Lecture, a new Creative Digital Ecosystem, and partnerships spanning the United States, India, the Nordic region and Chile, adds the foundation.
The SABC Art Collection
The SABC Art Collection is one of South Africa's most significant public art holdings. While its early acquisitions largely reflected Apartheid-era exclusions, the post-1994 strategy has deliberately redressed these imbalances, foregrounding Black artists whose contributions were overlooked for decades, says the foundation.
As custodian of this collection, the SABC affirms the role of art as a register of social life — embracing contradiction, emotion and representation across race, gender, history and medium. The SABC Art Collection is an ongoing and always unfinished project reflecting not only South Africa's cultural diversity and social realities, but also providing a space for the display of the always emergent creativity and individuality of South Africa's artists — both established and rising, adds the foundation.
"A lineage of feeling, thinking, making and resisting unfolds here, from the artists' hearts to ours. Through their work, we know that the struggle continues. May we continue to rise against genocides, against discrimination, injustice, and poverty — may we continue to struggle against it all. May we never forget. May our eyes live to see, and may art continue to impart love and empathy to all our hearts," says SABC Art Collection Curator, Koulla Xinisteris.
A Timely Reminder at a Pivotal Moment
In a global context of growing authoritarianism, systemic inequality, environmental devastation and renewed militarisation, Still We Rise is a reminder of the power of art to connect people, inspire courage and stir our conscience. These works are testaments to survival, showing how, even in harshest times, art affirms the fullness of life, says the foundation.
"News cycles often highlight South Africa's challenges. Yet this powerful exhibition offers a defiantly different story, moving beyond the headlines to showcase the profound resilience, vibrant creativity and unbreakable spirit of our nation overcoming adversity," concludes Dr Ramdhani. "This is not a narrative of struggle but one of triumph. It shows a nation that has survived, adapted, and continues to create — and that is a message we are proud to share with the world."
For more information, visit www.sabc.co.za. You can also follow the SABC on Facebook or on X.
**Image captions: Dan Rakgoathe, Dualty, 1973 (SABC Art Collection), Dikobe Ben Martins, Apartheid Kills, 1974 (Ifa Lethu Art Collection)
*Images courtesy of contributor