About this artwork
These posters were conceived in response to protests that erupted on September 3, 1984, in South Africa’s Vaal Triangle region over rent increases proposed by local town councils. The protests ignited rent boycotts in predominantly black townships such as Alexandria, Soweto, and Tembisa. By withholding rent, protestors refused to finance their own segregation from city centers and their relegation to the meager “matchbox” homes imposed on them by the apartheid state.
After designing the poster, Medu printed it commercially as a template (above) so that the names of specific townships could be inscribed through screen printing, as in the “Soweto” poster.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Thamsanqa (Thami) Mnyele
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Title
- This Is Our land
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Place
- South Africa (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1984
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Medium
- Offset lithograph in dark red ink on white wove paper
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Dimensions
- 45 × 58 cm (17 3/4 × 22 7/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Artworkers Retirement Society
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Reference Number
- 2018.442
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
