Discovering Cape Town Through its Street Art in Woodstock

The first time I visited Cape Town, South Africa in December 2012 I heard about a street art tour in Woodstock while staying at The Backpack. Unfortunately I didn’t find time on my schedule for a visit.

Over the last 2 years I’ve seen some of the amazing street art pop up on my Instagram feed by some of my Cape Town Instagrammer friends. Fast forward to my 4th visit to the Mother City this past November (2014) and I just had to get there and see it for myself.

While you can certainly visit Woodstock yourself as I did, I highly recommend taking a street art tour especially if it’s your first time to the city to learn more about the history and the art. You can plan for a visit to the nearby Old Biscuit Mill and make a day of it in this interesting neighbourhood.

Here are some of my favourite murals in Woodstock that I captured with my iPhone.

Woodstock Street Art, a Cape Town, South Africa neighbourhood.
Woodstock Street Art, a Cape Town, South Africa neighbourhood.

 

Save Our Rhinos - Woodstock Street Art, a Cape Town, South Africa neighbourhood.
Save Our Rhinos – Woodstock Street Art, a Cape Town, South Africa neighbourhood.

 

When I was in Senegal, I took Djembe (African drumming) lessons. I learned from a master Djembefola that the djembe was used to communicate between villages in Senegal and West Africa where it is said the djembe originated. It would signal illness, death and celebrations such as marriage and birth. This is my ode to the tradition and a way to celebrate the upcoming birth of the woman’s baby.

Woodstock Street Art, a Cape Town, South Africa neighbourhood.
Woodstock Street Art, a Cape Town, South Africa neighbourhood.

 

Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Street Art in the Woodstock area of Cape Town, South Africa.

 

 

Andrea is a professional travel and portrait photographer, photography educator, founder of The Heart of a Woman Project, a women's mobile photography initiative and publisher of wanderingiPhone.com. Andrea began her photography career in 2003 in Toronto, Canada. Her work has been featured on CBC, W Network, Splice Network and in national and international print and digital magazines including Shutterbug magazine.