Nelson Mandela Bay art lovers took a nostalgic walk down memory lane at the South End Museum at the weekend with a compelling exhibition capturing the rich and colourful history of the area.
Frame Art, a local framing company with deep roots in the city, collaborated with local artist and South End Museum trustee Michael Barry to bring the exhibition to life.
The collection predominantly featured artwork by Vincent Olivier.
The late Salie Wackie, founder of Frame Art, had amassed a valuable collection of images depicting the former South End, a once-thriving, diverse community before the enactment of the Group Areas Act in the 1950s.
These images have since been transformed into canvas paintings, vividly portraying the vibrancy and spirit of a community that once flourished.
His daughter, Mariam Wackie, reflected on the significance of the exhibition saying.
“This exhibition honours my father, who practised his framing trade in the city long before I was born.
“He worked with black-and-white images of South End and collaborated with Vincent Olivier to recreate them in paint, allowing South End to live on in the homes of those who once resided there.”
Following Wackie’s passing, the picture framing trade continues through his son, Arafaan.
He said his father was passionate about preserving scenes of the past on canvas, commissioning many works over the years without ever intending to sell them.
“This exhibition and sale offer an opportunity for others to appreciate my father’s vision for these paintings.
“We are extremely grateful to the South End Museum for providing us with this platform.”
Barry said the South End Museum played a vital role in preserving the history and memories of the former South End and stood as a poignant reminder of the brutality, tragedy, and sorrow caused by forced removals under the Group Areas Act and other apartheid legislation.
“Many elderly residents died of broken hearts, while others were left deeply traumatised after being forcibly removed from their ancestral homes in South End and relocated to unfamiliar places.
“The old South End was a melting pot of cultural diversity, a place where communities lived in harmony.
“The mosques, which now appear somewhat lost amid gated townhouse complexes and the freeway, date back to the 19th century and stand as some of the last physical evidence of the Muslim community that once lived here.”
The exhibition will be open to the public until Thursday while the sale of artworks will continue at the museum.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the museum, which operates as a nonprofit entity.
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