Helena Uambembe

Helena Uambembe was born in Pomfret, South Africa in 1994 to Angolan parents who fled the civil war. Her father was a soldier in the 32 Battalion, a military unit within the South African Defence Force mainly made up of black Angolan men. The 32 Battalion and her Angolan heritage are dominant themes in Helena’s work, in which she explores narratives surrounding the Battalion, interweaving connected symbols and archival material. Helena is one of the Bag Factory’s three 2019 David Koloane Award winners, and presents Therapy for the Black man (in honour of…), as part of the award.