Pas In

By: Kenan Petersen

Pas In (‘fit in’) is a visual representation, in three stages, of the artist’s personal and spiritual journey. During the first stage, he paints himself white – symbolising the years he spent trying, and at times almost succeeding, to mask his culture under a thin layer of whiteness.

The second stage is an introspective moment when the artist reflects on his feelings regarding having covered himself in white. “The result is the same as my accent. I felt as if I had betrayed heritage.”

In the third and final stage, he washes the paint off his body – signifying the moment he realised how beautiful it is to be black, and the richness of his cultural heritage.

Performed by: Kenan Petersen; curated by: Kenan Petersen & Didintle Ntsie; directed by: Mandla ‘Tauyane’ Shonhiwa; videography and photography by: Mandla ‘Tauyane’ Shonhiwa & Matthew Wareley.