Faith 47

Faith47, also known as Faith XLVII or Liberty Du (b. 1979), is a South African studio and street artist based in Cape Town. Starting her work on South African streets in 1997, she adopted the name Faith47 and began creating art internationally from 2006, now with projects in 39 countries. Her multi-disciplinary practice includes installations, tapestries, sculpture, painting, and printmaking. Her art reflects social awareness and is influenced by South Africa’s ongoing political and social challenges, sometimes featuring lines from the Freedom Charter like “The people shall govern!”. Through solitary figures and meaningful messages, Faith47 explores complex human and existential themes.

Faith47, occasionally stylized as Faith XLVII and also known as Liberty Du (b. 1979) is a South African studio and street artist based in Cape Town. She began making art on the streets of South Africa in 1997, taking the name Faith47. She broadened her canvas in 2006, beginning to travel the world to make her art, which has resulted in her creating works in 39 countries. Overtime, she began to develop a multi-disciplinary practice, ranging from new media installations and handsewn wall tapestries to sculptural bronzes, paintings and printmaking.   Many of her works convey a strong sense of social awareness, depicted not only through solitary figures but also through accompanying messages. Her art is deeply influenced by the social and political challenges present in South Africa, a nation still facing significant hardships after apartheid. At times, she incorporates lines from the South African Freedom Charter, notably its bold declaration, ‘The people shall govern!’. Through these elements, Faith47’s artwork thoughtfully addresses the complexities of human existence and the existential questions we face.    In 2012, Faith47 collaborated with David Krut Projects Johannesburg on a large-scale installation-based exhibition titled Fragments of a Burnt History. The body of work presented in this exhibition, which included found objects and artwork created in the artist’s studio, as well as work produced in collaboration with the David Krut Print Workshop, was drawn from the artist’s experience of her own country, particularly the city of Johannesburg. Although the work is not a direct interpretation of the city, her experience is of Johannesburg as a representative African city, the streets full of the energy of transformation and endless possibility, but also the evidence of the harsh realities of day-to-day life.  Faith47 spent some time at the David Krut Workshop leading up to the show, making a body of prints using various techniques, including monotype, etching, letterpress and hand painting. Some of the images form the monotype series depicting jaded figures waiting – for taxis, for jobs, for better days – were also used in a poster campaign, for which Faith47 wheat-pasted large-scale reproductions of the images in strategic places all over Johannesburg as a way to promote Fragments of a Burnt History. Faith47’s prints and unique works have also been included in various group exhibitions at David Krut Projects in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

News

Beyond the Page: Woordfees 2024
Oct. 17, 2024

Woordfees began in 2000 with a focus on celebrating Afrikaans literature and has now become one of the largest arts...

Tags: Beyond the Page, boschendal, Brundyn arts, David Krut Projects, litrature, woordfees, works on paper
Drawings In The Sky 2015
Sep. 10, 2015

DK Artist Maja Maljevića along with Faith47, Haroon Gunn-Salie and Simon Gush are featured in the second edition of 'Drawings...
David Krut Workshop Open for the Year
Jan. 15, 2015

The team at DKW is back and carrying on printing artist’s work.  Printers Chad and Nathaniel have just finished new...
Arts on Main: Contemporary Prints From South Africa – Syracuse University Art Gallery
Jan. 25, 2014

Opens 30 January 2014 Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse University Art Galleries is pleased to present Arts on Main: Contemporary...

Tags: Arts on Main, David Krut Print Workshop, David Krut Projects New York, Syracuse
Faith47 featured at Miami Art Basel 2013 and SCOPE Miami Beach 2013
Dec. 12, 2013

Three works by one of South African's top street artists, Faith47, were featured in Miami this December. Two works were...

Tags: Street Art
The Shrunken Forest
Jun. 21, 2013

Trees call to mind big leafy structures over our heads, like the Oak trees that surround the Montebello Design Centre,...

Tags: The Benediction of Shade
Editions/Artists’ Book Fair, New York
Feb. 13, 2013

David Krut Projects (DKP) participated in the 15th Anniversary of the Editions/Artists’ Book Fair, which opened on the evening of...

Tags: David Krut Print Workshop, David Krut Projects, David Krut Projects New York, DKW, International, New York, News, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop
Film by Rowan Pybus – Faith47, Fragments of a Burnt History
Dec. 19, 2012

Rowan Pybus has produced this short video of Faith47's Fragments of a Burnt History, an installation showing at David Krut...

Tags: Exhibition, Faith47, Film, Rowan Pybus
Installation and Progress Images – Faith47’s Fragments of a Burnt History
Nov. 14, 2012

Photographs by Rowan Pybus of the artist working on editions, setting up the installation and details of the installation itself....

Tags: Exhibition, Street Art
TEASER VIDEO – FAITH47, FRAGMENTS OF A BURNT HISTORY
Nov. 5, 2012

A teaser video in preparation of Faith47's solo exhibition at David Krut Projects, Parkwood - Fragments of a Burnt History....

Tags: Exhibition, Film, Street Art
Faith47 – The Long Wait, Part Three
Oct. 5, 2012

The Long Wait is a series of artworks created on the streets of Johannesburg towards the end of September 2012,...

Tags: Faith47, Street Art
Faith47 – The Long Wait, Part Two
Oct. 5, 2012

The Long Wait is a series of artworks created on the streets of Johannesburg towards the end of September 2012,...

Tags: Faith47, Street Art
Faith47 at David Krut Print Workshop, Arts on Main
Oct. 3, 2012

Faith47 will be working at DKW Arts on Main during this week to co-incide with her project The Long Wait...
Faith47 – The Long Wait, Part One
Sep. 27, 2012

Miners are waiting for justice. Workers are waiting for a living wage. People are waiting for service delivery. Refugees are...

Tags: Faith47, Street Art
Faith47 – Taming of the beasts, new painting in Shanghai
Sep. 19, 2012

Faith47 recently spent some time in China, where she produced a new street work bringing the spirits of the African...

Tags: China, Street Art
Faith47 in Paris
Jul. 17, 2012

Following the mural in Champagne, Faith47 created the work below in Paris as part of the Paris Free Walls project....

Tags: Paris, Street Art
Faith47 in Champagne
Jul. 17, 2012

Faith47 has just completed the mural The Progress of the Truth of Man (above) somewhere in Champagne in Northern France. This...

Tags: Champagne, Street Art
Faith47 in Stockholm
Jul. 17, 2012

Faith47 has just completed work on an installation in at the Kulturhuset Stockholm, Sweden, entitled who cannot pretend? death. is...

Tags: Installation, Street Art
Faith47 Photodiary, painting “The Hollow Land” in Gugulethu
Jun. 11, 2012

Faith47 spent some time in Guglethu recently, painting in a corner of Gugulethu, a township just outside of Cape Town....

Tags: Cape Town, Faith47, Graffiti, photodiary
Faith47 in studio at DKW
Nov. 20, 2011

Faith’s images reconstruct lost objects, broken-down cars, old factories and dusty side roads of forgotten towns. She investigates how many...
Faith 47 at DKW
Oct. 25, 2011

Faith 47 a Cape Town based Graffiti and street artist was at DKW recently to produce works for her upcoming...
FAITH47 – FRAGMENTS OF A BURNT HISTORY – PREVIEW IMAGES
Nov. 9, 2010

THIS CONTENT HAS BEEN MOVED. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR IMAGES AND DETAILS OF WORKS.

Tags: Exhibition, Faith47, Street Art

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