Due to the consequence of colonialism, slavery and apartheid inflicted by the Dutch in South Africa, the Coloured community has seen men evolving from police officers to gangsters. Die lewe is nie reg vir my nie explores the history of gang culture within the Coloured community of Schauderville. Schauderville was classified as a coloured area under apartheid and has not seen any changes after Mandela became the first democratically elected president in 1994. This body of work counters the perception of male violence and shows the deeper layers of it being a means of survival and brotherhood. Some men step into the gang as there are no real employment opportunities and others step out of the gang for a better future for their children. Being racially classified as Coloured myself and immigrating to The Netherlands at a young age, I use portraiture as a means to decolonize the unjust image of the community I was born into.
