Opening 30 October at the Atrium, Keyes Art Mile, ‘Still We Rise’ commemorates South Africa’s artistic resilience and cultural defiance during Apartheid, coinciding with the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
Dan Rakgoathe, Duality, 1973. Courtesy of the SABC Art Collection.
The Ifa Lethu Foundation and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) have joined forces to present ‘Still We Rise’, a landmark exhibition celebrating the courage and creativity of artists who produced work during South Africa’s Apartheid years. Opening at The Atrium, Keyes Art Mile, on 30 October 2025, the exhibition runs until 23 November 2025, coinciding with the G20 Summit – the first to be hosted on African soil.
Rooted in themes of memory, resistance and resilience, ‘Still We Rise’ showcases artworks created between 1948 and 1994, alongside select post-Apartheid works that offer a retrospective reflection. Many of these pieces were created in exile and later repatriated, making their return to South Africa a poignant testament to cultural survival against the odds.
The exhibition’s title reinterprets Maya Angelou’s 1978 poem Still I Rise, transforming the “I” into “we” to honour the collective spirit of resistance, solidarity, and shared endurance that defined the liberation struggle.
“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.”
A Timely Reflection at a Global Moment
As Johannesburg hosts the G20 Summit, ‘Still We Rise’ resonates far beyond its historical context. The exhibition positions South Africa’s cultural voice within global conversations about justice, ethics and leadership. The opening event coincides with the W20 ministerial meeting, bringing women leaders from across the world to Johannesburg.
In an era marked by growing authoritarianism, inequality and social division, the exhibition stands as a reminder of art’s enduring capacity to inspire empathy and courage. “This powerful exhibition offers a defiantly different story, moving beyond the headlines to showcase the profound resilience, vibrant creativity and unbreakable spirit of our nation,” adds Dr Ramdhani. “It shows a nation that has survived, adapted and continues to create – and that is a message we are proud to share with the world.”
The Ifa Lethu Foundation Collection
Founded in 2005 through a partnership between the Australian Government and South Africa’s Ministry of Arts and Culture, the Ifa Lethu Foundation is the country’s leading heritage repatriation organisation. Its origins trace back to two Australian diplomats, Diane Johnstone and the late Bruce Haigh, who in the 1970s and 80s collected artworks from Black South African artists living under repression, exhibiting them in their homes in defiance of Apartheid restrictions.
Decades later, the pair returned these works to South Africa, forming the nucleus of the Ifa Lethu Heritage Collection. Today, the Foundation has repatriated more than 550 works from 16 countries, including paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints.
Beyond its work in heritage recovery, the Foundation has trained over 2,400 young South Africans in creative entrepreneurship, resulting in more than 800 small enterprises across rural and township communities. Its international exhibitions have included presentations at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Africa Day in Australia (2011), the London Olympics (2012) and the French Seasons in Paris (2014).
As the Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is launching a new series of programmes, including the Ifa Lethu Annual Lecture, a Creative Digital Ecosystem, and international partnerships across the United States, India, the Nordic region and Chile.
The SABC Art Collection
The SABC Art Collection is among South Africa’s most significant public art holdings. Once reflective of Apartheid-era exclusions, the collection has since evolved to highlight artists historically overlooked in national narratives. Its curatorial approach today embraces the full complexity of South African identity, showcasing the country’s creative diversity across race, gender, and generation.
“A lineage of feeling, thinking, making and resisting unfolds here, from the artists’ hearts to ours,” says Koulla Xinisteris, Curator of the SABC Art Collection. “Through their work, we know that the struggle continues. May we continue to rise against genocides, against discrimination, injustice and poverty. May art continue to impart love and empathy to all our hearts.”
A Celebration of Endurance and Artistry
‘Still We Rise’ honours the enduring relationship between art and resistance, illuminating how creativity flourishes even in conditions of constraint. The exhibition brings together two of South Africa’s most important cultural institutions in a shared act of remembrance and renewal.
‘Still We Rise’ runs from 30 October to 23 November 2025 at The Atrium, Keyes Art Mile, Johannesburg.
