Artist Samurai Farai created his version of the ‘New Rainbow Nation’, but it didn’t start off patriotically. Instead, through the creative process, he re-discovered his South African pride and left pessimists with a beautiful message:
South Africa (03 October 2023) — You might assume that an artist behind a mural of the South African flag would need to be somewhat patriotic. However, artist Samurai Farai (Farai Engelbrecht) didn’t consider himself such when he began creating his ‘New Rainbow Nation’ mural.
Instead, it was during the creative process and journey of reimagining our flag in his own eyes that he unlocked his South African pride; something cathartic that anyone feeling pessimistic about our country might be encouraged by.
The New Rainbow Nation started off as a commission from the late artist Costa Titch and Akon, and was Samurai Farai’s first big project of 2023.
The reimagined flag features the artist’s signature expressionist/cubic style that you might have seen before on myriad canvases, from mental health hoodies to skateboards. It is larger-than-ego; buzzing with vibrance as all Farai works are known to. But, what makes it more powerful is the beauty of a perspective switch.
According to the artist, curator and gallery founder, reimagining our flag from his own perspective wasn’t just about craft. It was also about embracing a different frame of mind to rediscover South African pride.
“I’ve never been patriotic but after reimagining the South African flag through my own eyes I came to a beautiful place of pride of being from here.
“I think too many of us bear the burden of our country’s past on our shoulders forgetting we are the ones creating its future,”Farai shared.
Adding to the sentiment, the artist went on to say:
“We are the pioneers of new cultures, of new histories, of new legacies and stories to be told. We are a generation using art and culture to paint a new story that will be remembered by the books and [it’s] our responsibility to fly the flag and remake it in our own image if we must.
“It’s taken me a while to be proudly African because so much of the world convinces us to look West. But Africa is golden. Africa is irreplaceable. Africa is the birthplace.”—Samurai Farai.
How important it is to acknowledge that we all have agency in our collective future, and how empowering it is to know that sometimes all it takes (not unlike the mural’s journey) is a step-by-step approach sparked by a perspective switch.
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