Fatima Meer exhibits her paintings smuggled out of prison
May 20, 2005 Edition 1
Angela Bolowana
Durban: Paintings that Fatima Meer did as a hobby during the five months she spent in prison will soon be displayed at Constitution Hill in Gauteng.
During her time in Old Fort Prison in Johannesburg, Meer, activist, sociologist, author and academic, drew pictures depicting life in prison including some of the women she was imprisoned with.
Despite strict laws, Meer managed to have her artwork smuggled out of prison. Some were kept at a college in America and others were kept secretly at a friend's home in Essenwood Road, Durban.
Yesterday the Democratic Gallery at the Bat Centre displayed some of Meer's works. The works, which Meer has donated to the centre, were soon to be taken to the Constitution Hill in Gauteng - their new home.
At the exhibition, Meer said she hoped her work would help to preserve the history of the country.
She added: "I want my work to communicate to the world the courage, fortitude and persistence that South African women needed to have to fight the battle against apartheid.
Meer said she began drawing what she saw around her in prison because she was looking for ways to keep herself busy. "I had to do something in prison to make the time interesting for myself," she said.
Her favourite work was one that depicted prisoners dressed in blue overalls and red doeks. She said those prisoners brought the hot water for other prisoners to bath in and also to use to scrub the floor. She said they were not given underwear so if they bent over "you'd have a scene to see".
Meer said although prison life was hard, she appreciated the experiences she had there. In prison, all three meals eaten daily were porridge. She joked that the porridge was so stiff that it didn't fall off the plate if turned upside down. She said that they were lucky to get a slice of white bread and coffee.
Meer said she remembered how the women who served time with her - including Winnie
Mandela, Sibongile Kubeka and Joyce Seroke - passed the time playing games and plaiting each others' hair.
