Exploring Nostalgia: District Six Picture Exhibition at Cape Town Central Library

Two men living in a Lansdowne shelter are using art to preserve the memory of District Six, once home to thousands forcibly removed under apartheid.

Publicist Mark Hutton, 59, and artist Phillip Matthews, 65, are exhibiting pencil drawings and acrylic paintings in a collection titled “District Six 1867–1980” at the Cape Town Central Library’s art gallery from Monday, June 2 to Thursday, July 31.

“I grew up there (in Woodstock) and often went to District Six and started advising him on what is appropriate,” he said, adding that District Six was once a vibrant, multi-racial residential area in Cape Town, established in 1867. Its spirit of community and its buildings were crushed under the apartheid regime's Group Areas Act in 1966.

Families were packed up in trucks, their furniture too big to fit into their smaller homes in Mitchell's Plain, the Cape Flats and across the peninsula.

Mr Hutton said: "I would imagine every person over 50 would have had an aunt, a brother, and mother, father or sister with a memory or had visited District Six or even a connection with the place."

The images are all two-toned and simple in its design to evoke memories of people's childhood and places they frequented. 

Mr Hutton said a boy often played soccer at Trafalgar Park, across from Trafalgar swimming pool, with other “coloured” boys, but when they wanted to cool off, they had to go to different swimming pools. 

“Well, I'm classified as white. But 95% of my friends were coloured, because I was a soccer player. I could not go to the swimming pool nearby. They couldn't come to Woodstock swimming pool, across from Queen’s Park high school because they were coloured,” he said. 

Mr Hutton said that the pictures were memories. 

“This isn't glamorous. That's why we stayed away from anything in color. This is a very, very, very sad time where you were forced out of your home. It's melancholy,” he said. 

Mr Hutton said the collection was part of people’s visual memory.

Mr Matthews, originally from George, worked for the local municipality before he moved to Cape Town. He also worked in Ireland for about nine years. 

“So, I suppose that's why you know, I have a bit of a nick with these buildings and the lines because of the architectural background,” he said. 

The duo spoke to art librarian Elsa von Ballmoos and showed her what they would like to exhibit. 

The Central Art Library gallery is open to anyone to exhibit for two months.

Ms Von Ballmoos said she manages the bookings but did not get involved with sales. 

“We provide the space, and exhibitors have to manage their publicity. They have to get word out and get the foot traffic,” she said. 

She said that it was a good space for artists to start in and add to their portfolios.

The pictures are available on A4 and A4 canvas sketch paper. 

For more information, contact Mr Hutton on 084 926 3882.