What do you call the thing you picked and where does it go?
Sjoe growing up this “lounge suite” was a symbol of status in the community, we also had a lower end “settee” for everyday use. The lounge suite had a fixed place in the sitting room and for for belangrike mense or events or religious celebrations like gadats, labarang, etc
Why did you pick this furniture piece?
It gives me a sense of belonging. When I received this piece moving into my first house I was do so excited. My kids gew up with this as a living thing, part of so many photos (the few we have)
Explain what this furniture piece means to you or your family/friends?
I think it creates a sense of stability, grounding but also how a sense of renewal and new starts. In the pic you notice how the upholstery have changed overtime.
Tell me a story around this furniture piece? A memory, a thought or something that happened recently.
This piece was polished and cleaned regularly, it was always immaculate. Over time it was part of the TV kamer children sit on the floor and adults on it. We recently had to update the look and had the whole set recovered. Our family uses this daily.it also has a quite a bit of mileage and different locations /provinces in South Africa.
How does this piece of furniture make you feel?
Happy that I am able to have a conversation piece that have been in my family for generations. It still represents a sense of achievement and that we can overcome so many things.
Do you think this piece of furniture represents us as Coloureds? Why?
I definitely would say so. This piece also represents the many “ambagsmanne” or craftsman that were part of our community. Many of my friends had something similar and used in the same way. Vir die kerk mense, poaj mense or belanrike mense . It was a show piece
How would you describe your interpretation of Colouredness?
Growing up in Cape Town it represents a “mengelmoes” of things, food how people look on a broad spectrum. It represents deliberate attempts to be noticed, to add value and contribute to the functioning of the community. It is the underdog achieving against all odds
What other things strongly represent Colouredness?
Participating in sport tournaments and travelling nationally staying in strangers houses, building those friendships. The ability to speak fluent English and Afrikaans and switch seamlessly between the two. The ultimate speaking in slang of the two ons het ons eie woordeskat lol.
What does it mean to be Coloured in South Africa now?
It is a daily struggle, it feels like we are marginalized, do we belong to the concept and labels of black or white. Coloured is the forgotten middle. We must always prove we must stay in perpetual learning and development. The flatness of your so called accent and tone are continuously judged as “minderwaardig”.
What is your relationship with your Colouredness?
I gew up in a coloured community from mixed parents( Indian & Malay). so it is definitely entrenched in me.
