DURING THE ANGOLAN civil war (1975-2002), many Angolan families were forced to flee to South Africa.  The parents of Helena Uambembe, who was born in South Africa in 1994, were amongst those who were forced to leave Angola. Her father was coerced to join the South African Defence Force (‘SADF’), which was engaged in fighting in southern Angola during the period when the Apartheid regime was still in power.  He was enrolled in the 32 Battalion of the SADF.

Until 20 March 2025, there is an exhibition of art works by Ms Uambembe at the Goodman Gallery in Mayfair’s Cork Street. Her intriguing and somewhat terrifying works are on paper, canvas, and cloth. The drawings on display show her interest in the kind of posters used to attract young people into joining the military. I felt that these pictures illustrated the fearsome nature of serving in the military, rather than its attractions.  A large cloth work with images printed on it depicts the loss of self-identity or individuality that members of the military must undergo.

The small exhibition is visually exciting, of interest historically, full of angst about the war in Angola and now elsewhere, and well worth visiting.