In 1970 Judith’s parents emigrated from Suriname for a better live in Netherlands. The limited money that they had was used to buy 3 plane tickets for themselves and their youngest son Brian (2), leaving Judith (5) and Steven (3) behind in Suriname. After a warm welcome by the people in Netherlands, Judith parents found work and 6 months later the family was reunited and the new baby Janice was on its way. Indeed a good story to tell.
How different is the immigration landscape today, where refugees are chased from one camp to another and human beings including children are found dead on the beach. Where we can’t seem to find a solution to shelter families hunted by war, to escape from poverty or, like Judith’s parents, just looking for a better life. Who are we to judge who is welcome or not?
This outrage moved Judith into the “Language of Landscape”. Which gives a different picture of migration and mobility in 2015. A series of paintings which each tells its own story of the road that people have to travel to find a better life.
A journey with high expectations, A long road to a better life, Confused, hope, borders, The reality, No privacy, My space, Thinking of home.
Johannesburg, 13 November 2015
Carlo Bakker
Nelson Mandela
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb”.
