Art of resistance: Ifa Lethu Foundation brings apartheid-era works to Johannesburg

At the heart of South Africa’s cultural legacy are the artists whose creativity and resilience shaped a nation. This October, the Ifa Lethu Foundation presents Still We Rise, an exhibition celebrating the courage and ingenuity of South African artists during the apartheid era. Opening at the Atrium, Keyes Art Mile on October 30 and running until November 23, 2025, the exhibition coincides with the G20 Summit, the first to be hosted on African soil.

Rooted in memory, resistance, and resilience, Still We Rise showcases artworks created between 1948 and 1994, with a few post-apartheid works included for their piercing retrospective gaze. Together, these works highlight the courage and creativity of artists who persevered despite censorship, oppression, and the violent realities of Apartheid. Many of the works on show were created in exile and later repatriated, making their return to South Africa a poignant reminder of cultural survival against the odds.

“This is a story of South Africa told through the eyes of artists who were silenced at home but found recognition abroad,” says Dr Narissa Ramdhani, director of the Ifa Lethu Foundation. “As we welcome the world to Johannesburg for the G20, we want visitors to understand South Africa beyond the headlines. These works remind us of the resilience of our artists, their determination to rise above adversity, and their refusal to be silenced.”

The SABC Art Collection will also feature in the exhibition. As one of South Africa’s most significant public art holdings, it includes works by artists whose contributions were overlooked during Apartheid. “A lineage of feeling, thinking, making and resisting unfolds here, from the artists' hearts to ours. Through their work, we know that the struggle continues. May we continue to rise against genocides, against discrimination, injustice, and poverty, may we continue to struggle against it all. May we never forget. May our eyes live to see, and may art continue to impart love and empathy to all our hearts,” says SABC Art Collection curator, Koulla Xinisteris.