OCTH's Walkabout: "Who was counted, Who was carried"

Join Our Cape Town Heritage on 22 August 2026 at 12pm for an informative and interactive art and culture walkabout to explore the work of five artists.

"Who was counted, who was carried?" asks us to reconsider how history is recorded and remembered. It questions who has been deemed worthy of recognition within official narratives, while honouring those whose lives, labour, memories, and resilience have been carried across generations despite their exclusion from the historical record. We ask who was physically “counted”: documented, named, and acknowledged with dignity, and who was never considered worthy of being counted at all. Conversely, we ask who was “carried”; not only by boat across oceans, but through oral histories, cultural practices, family stories, objects, and the collective memory of communities who preserved what official histories overlooked.

About the Artists:

Liam Van Der Heever is an artist who was born in Cape Town; South Africa, in the year 2000. The artist works in various mediums such as printmaking, sculpture, videography and painting. He draws from experiences, histories, and culture, which hold presence within the work at hand. Van Der Heever’s practice aligns with creating spaces where vulnerability becomes an item of accessibility for all, as he uses various iconographical motifs within his work to evoke empathetic exchange in an incredibly unapologetic manner.

Lindisipho Gulwa is a South African artist, born in Cape Town in 1995. Working across various mediums such as painting and photography, poetry and songwriting, Gulwa has turned his focus to abstract art. Referring to this expression as a process to express his state of mind, it also serves to record the acts of the South African working class.

Vas Putter is a differently abled artist currently residing in KwaZulu Natal. She is fascinated with the diaspora of peoples and the displacement of artefacts. Working in paint mediums, printmaking and assemblage with discarded objects, her work explores humanitarian and environmental issues while at the same time unpacking narratives around historical and contemporary slavery.

Ra I preserves memory and culture telling the stories of the Past Present and Future of humanity and creation itself. His style is unique and diverse, as it has Bushman wall painting spirit with Urban Graffiti and a bit of realism to it. He has been doing art his whole life and started taking himself more seriously in high school when started making money off his work and started charging a fee.

Nosihle Ntombenhle Bhengu is a multidisciplinary artist and architectural designer whose work operates at the intersection of cultural heritage and contemporary innovation. Born in the vibrant landscapes of Durban, she draws deeply from her roots, weaving unspoken histories into a tapestry of architectural and artistic discovery. Nosihle’s work is uniquely shaped by her perspective as both a designer and a societal observer. Her approach integrates cultural insight and environmental awareness, creating projects that are as intellectually impactful as they are visually compelling.

Curated by Aaliyah Ahmed, the exhibition has an online component; exhibiting the works of Vas Putter, Nosihle Bhengu and Ra I. The Digital Exhibition can be found at https://ourcapetownheritage.org/who-was-counted-who-was-carried. The work is supported by educational archival information by the OCTH researchers, exploring early life in the Cape, exploring the untold stories of those who came to the shores of Cape Town; contrasting the very different lived experiences of sailors and slaves. The research can be found on the Digital Archive Research Library https://ourcapetownheritage.org/sailors-and-slaves-in-the-early-cape

Lead by Curatorial Assistant, Zainab Abrahams, this walkabout transforms a passive viewing experience into an intimate, interactive journey. Visitors will gain direct insight into the inspiration, technical processes, and hidden narratives behind each piece. The firsthand context provided during a walkabout enriches the viewer's understanding, turning a simple gallery visit into a memorable and educational cultural event.

More about the hosts:

The Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation serves as a vital custodian of the late Archbishop's enduring commitment to human rights, social justice, and reconciliation. Based at the historic Desmond Tutu House in Cape Town, the foundation actively promotes the core values of its founders by fostering critical dialogue, supporting community-led initiatives, and advancing the profound African philosophy of Ubuntu. The foundation works to heal fractured societies and ensure that the pursuit of truth and restorative justice remains central to building a more equitable world. Constructed between 1808 and in 1813, the building is one of Cape Town’s most complex and layered structural artifacts. Over its 200-year history, the site has transitioned through several institutional iterations, serving sequentially as a private residence and bakery, a British customs house, a town granary, a magistrates' court, and a civil engineer's office.