What do you call the thing you picked and where does it go?
It is called a dining chair. This piece of furniture belongs in the dining room along with the dining table.
Why did you pick this furniture piece?
This is a piece of furniture that has been around before I was born, and it brings back many memories especially from my childhood.
Explain what this furniture piece means to you or your family/friends?
The dining chairs were always in my toy room. It was never really used in the dining room because the chairs were incomplete – I remember it not having backing for a long time and my parents told me they bought it like that. These chairs are still part of our home today, my parents decided to have it refurbished and we are using it as dining chairs in our dining room.
Tell me a story around this furniture piece? A memory, a thought or something that happened recently.
It reminds me of the times I spent playing with my cousins in the toy room. We would spend most of our day playing together and always used it as a little house for games like house-house, as our car and as a classroom etc. I specifically remember how my dad would throw a blanket over the chairs to make a tent for us to play in.
How does this piece of furniture make you feel?
It makes me feel happy because of the fun memories attached to it. Most of my favourite memories are from my childhood and I am happy that I got to spend it with family and that we can still talk and laugh about the stories today.
Do you think this piece of furniture represents us as Coloureds? Why?
I don’t think this piece necessarily represent us as coloured. Dining chairs are usually something found in every household.
How would you describe your interpretation of Colouredness?
To me colouredness is a culture.
What other things strongly represent Colouredness?
Colouredness is represented by the way we speak, how we celebrate and do certain things.
What does it mean to be Coloured in South Africa now?
Although apartheid was abolished in 1994, I do feel that it will take a long time to overcome the challenges associated with race. Coloured people in South Africa still feel that they are not treated equally.
What is your relationship with your Colouredness?
I don’t mind being associated with being coloured. I grew up as a coloured and appreciate our culture and traditions.
