Notes

Dogs are a recurrent image in David Koloane’s work, particularly mongrels. In the township, a dog is associated with security, aggression and fear. ‘Umgodoyi’, a common title in Koloane’s dog series, is a Zulu word referring to an abandoned township mongrel that lives off waste. Umgodoyi roams around, howling at the moon and snarling at people to mark its territory. Koloane uses Umgodoyi as a figurative expression to point out socio-political issues such as homelessness, poverty, unemployment and violence in townships/urban Johannesburg. It can also signify a state of homelessness, where one lives a life of uncertainty and falls victim to ill-treatment while learning aggressive ways to survive.