WONDER WALL
GRAFFITI artist Loveligh putting the finishing touches on his piece about the future of Philippi Village.
STRIKING and beautiful artworks are adding colour to the previously drab walls of Philippi.
A community-led painting project came to a close with the Siyangena community’s walls and surfaces covered in striking graffiti artworks.
The project – established by Philippi Village, a community and economic hub situated at Cwangco Crescent in the heart of Philippi – saw artists and the community working together to paint different spaces in the area.
William George, a representative of the board of Philippi Village, said: “Our programme design consciously encouraged community members’ involvement at every step of the journey. They helped to shape how the programme developed and it was their stories and feedback that inspired the design of the wall mural.”
Over the past two weeks, the organisation teamed up with Interfer, a participatory storytelling organisation, and six of Cape Town’s most established graffiti artists to encourage community members, tenants and stakeholders to visualise what a future Philippi might look like.
Through a series of workshops designed to focus on collaboration, participation and co-design, visions for the potential future of Philippi were established.
These visions were transformed into images that are now seen on various walls and surfaces in the village.
The final result tells a visual story of a fictional character named Thembi, a young woman who is the personification of Philippi. The murals reflect her life, struggles, aspirations and vision for the future.