In 2018, GALA Queer Archive (GALA) and the District Six Museum (D6M) embarked on a collaborative initiative that involved in-depth engagements with an extraordinary photographic collection depicting the life of Kewpie. Kewpie was a hairdresser, performer and all-round icon, who lived in District Six, Cape Town, during the apartheid regime. The photographs depicting Kewpie’s life and community offer a unique, queer perspective of this time and place. 

In 1966, District Six was declared a “whites only” area, resulting in the demolition of many homes and families, including Kewpie’s. Communities were forcibly removed from District Six over a period of many years, thus their personal histories became fragmented over time. Kewpie’s photographic collection provides further insight into the complexity of an oppressive regime, the shockwaves of which continue to affect many communities in South Africa. 

After the collection was digitised in 2017, the collaboration between GALA and District Six Museum began, and Kewpie’s story was offered to the public through the exhibition Kewpie: Daughter of District Six (2018). From that moment, we have witnessed her story and photographs resonate with many people, appearing in several different spaces and spawning community lead projects, such as Salon Kewpie - The Legacy Project. 

Download Exhibition Catalogue (6MB)

Press for the exhibition Kewpie - Daughter of District Six (2018):