My Hair Talks to Ancestors! portrays my father as a man caught between two worlds: the spiritual realm of his ancestors and the Christian beliefs he adopted to belong in the “new” South Africa. This painting becomes a conversation about identity, faith, and the silent presence of ancestry that continues to guide us, even when unseen.

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In this work, my father sits calmly in his own garden, a symbolic act of reclaiming space and dignity after a lifetime of tending to others’ gardens. The garden tools surrounding him echo his past labour, now transformed into instruments of self-determination. The elephant, our family totem, lies close to him, signifying strength, wisdom, and a connection to ancestral spirit.

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The newspaper, boldly declaring “My Hair Talks to Ancestors,” speaks to his inner dialogue—a reflection on the coexistence of modern identity and indigenous spirituality. His hair, natural and unaltered, stands as a sacred antenna to his roots. Behind him, the RDP house and tenant rooms represent the layered realities of post-apartheid life: my father’s pursuit of stability and self-sufficiency within the echoes of a system that once denied him both. The signpost between Sandton and Diepsloot serves as a metaphorical crossroads, marking the space between privilege and poverty.