Groot Gat is Afrikaans for 'great hole' and is part of Skollie's ongoing aim of addressing the erasure of indigenous culture in Africa. In particular, the work of Coex’ae Qgam, also known as Dada, has deeply influenced Skollie's own. This Botswana artist and storyteller was a member of the Ncoakhoe people, speakers of the Naro language; her paintings are an important chronicle of her people's connection to the land, their spirituality as well as their daily lives.
The show's title points to its central inspiration: Boesmansgat ('Bushman's Hole'), a submerged freshwater cave in the Northern Cape. Historically, this deep body of water served as a well and fishing hole for the indigenous community, but was later expropriated by colonisers. Today, this largely unused sink hole is known mainly as a free-diving destination. Skollie draws on the metaphor of this hole to speak to the void of forgotten histories and the complexity of brown identities in South Africa.
Skollie's vibrant, imaginative work picks up where Qgam and other forgotten San, Khoi and Griqua artists left off; carrying their legacy into the present day and giving a voice to the spirits of their lost art. Her paintings celebrate indigenous South African people, their creativity, resilience, wisdom and heart, and foster a deeper appreciation for the rich beauty of a culture that was carelessly interrupted and has for too long been ignored. Listen to Skollie discuss Groot Gat below.
