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A world without ‘isms’ — curator Lukretia Booysen honours art as a limitless tool for social justice

A world without ‘isms’ — curator Lukretia Booysen honours art as a limitless tool for social justice
A painting workshop being held at the institute. Photo: Supplied
Mick Raubenheimer
By Mick Raubenheimer
12 Jul 2024
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The entrepreneurial art curator celebrates South Africa’s talented indigenous voices.

Lukretia Booysen may not be an artist herself, but she lives and breathes art through her work as the owner and curator of the Koena Art Institute. The institute focuses on indigenous art, specifically by Khoe and San artists, with the aim of promoting, celebrating and preserving their heritage.

When did you first identify as a creative artist?


I am a self-taught curator and creative entrepreneur under the guidance of Stanley Grootboom from Tsitsikamma in Knysna. I dreamt of pursuing the arts in post-matric studies but had to settle for something completely different – communication science.

But my sparked love for my own heritage and the preservation thereof brought me here. I have always been interested in business, the arts and creating solutions for marginalised communities.

Which branch of art stimulates you the most?


Our work is very thematic. I work with different artists who create different works in various mediums and disciplines, but my favourite kind of art is work that is not replicative. Occasionally you find artists who simply create something brand-new. Not controversial, provocative or debatable – just something new, and that excites me.

Which artists have significantly inspired you, and why?


I have been following an exceptional jewellery artist named Naula, who creates futuristic spiritual jewellery based on nature and indigenous knowledge systems. She is one of the artists that I find absolutely refreshing, but I am most inspired by rock art. We will never know the stories behind those works and it will always be open to interpretation, regardless of what historical texts say.

What we read today about rock art are assumptions and interpretations and we will never truly know what it means. The artists are long gone. We will never truly know what the artist was thinking when they created those works. Art that outlives its creators slaps different.  

Lukretia Booysen Lukretia Booysen, owner and curator of the Koena Art Institute. (Photo: Supplied)


What, to you, is the most important function of art?


Art is a tool for social justice, preservation and honesty, and in the world of art certain boundaries do not apply. Classism, racism and all the other “isms”. Art has a sense of freedom that doesn’t need to be vetted. Banksy is a great example. No one knows who the person is, but he or she has made a tremendous mark on the global community.

Local creatives who excite you?


One of the creatives I am working with is Darion Adams. They are a freelance independent artist, dancer, dance educator, choreographer and facilitator from Manenberg, one of the most violent parts of the Cape Flats. Their work is currently focused on exploring and giving expression to their queer identity as a person of classified coloured experience. They use movement as a tool to bring together other art forms to challenge, relearn and shift narratives around identity politics and heritage. Their technique is brave and abrasive, yet soft and graceful.

What I love about the artist is their resilience and that they operate in two polar opposite worlds, one being a very violent home environment and then a completely different career environment, and that informs a lot of their projects and productions. Their latest work and collaborations that blew me away were Stand TF Up! (recently renamed On your mark) and Blinkers with Eddie Newman. Both these social justice pieces are curated by Carin Bester.

Which work do you return to again and again, and why?


Abbey Lincoln’s poem Where Are the African Gods? It is her truth on contemporary African society’s grappling with self-image and spirituality. The poem speaks about disconnection, displacement and adoption of ideologies, and it directly questions the integrity of imposed structures, beliefs and juxtaposing that of native origins.

Lukretia Booysen Koena A painting workshop being held at the Koena Art Institute. (Photo: Supplied)


What are your thoughts about the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution?


I think revolutions are always bound to happen. How we adjust to them is what will determine whether we make or break.

The AI revolution is slowly becoming a tool for creating faster outcomes and it can be used to the advantage of an arts organisation if it understands and learns the tool and how it can be implemented or integrated into the organisation.

AI is essentially reliant on what it is fed. What we intentionally feed it will be what the end user sees, receives or can access or use in this platform. Arts organisations can possibly use it to establish their AI arts footprint. I am still figuring it out myself, but am definitely not averse to it. 

Any project you’re unveiling?


Our focus is on establishing the Koena Art Institute to the extent that it functions without needing funding or grants. The main aim of the work I do is creating a self-sustainable indigenous Khoe and San arts organisation – a non-extractive model that creates long-term economic security. It sounds like it should be easy, but it is not, especially if you are previously disadvantaged and/or marginalised.

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The arts in South Africa is a somewhat unsustainable sector. Many arts organisations cannot function without funding and grants. And when you are not necessarily from a background of privilege, you will almost always not meet general standard requirements and encounter red tape.

We are definitely not averse to funding and grants, but the aim is to be able to continue to operate and thrive with or without it. We now have two sites – Seven Sisters Vineyards and the Castle of Good Hope – both in partnership – and are starting to expand our footprint internationally. DM

Mick Raubenheimer is a freelance arts writer.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.


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