In Traces of Migration 2023, Candice Kramer overlays a powerful hand-carved linocut figure onto a digitally reproduced 1897 map of Johannesburg and its suburbs. The sepia-toned map, aged and detailed, shows a young city’s early spatial divisions, including references to “Native Locations” and mining areas—revealing the foundations of segregation and industrial growth.
The black silhouette walking across the map is textured with cut-outs that allow the intricate urban landscape to show through. This figure symbolizes the movement of people across histories of displacement, labor, and urban transformation. As the figure steps forward, it bridges past and present, making visible the ongoing impacts of colonialism, migration, and city-building.
Kramer’s work offers a visually striking and emotionally resonant commentary on identity, memory, and the layered narratives embedded in place. Ideal for collectors of contemporary South African art, printmaking, and works that engage with historical cartography and socio-political themes.
Traces of Migration (2/3)
From candice kramer
