ADAMASTOR: The Cape of Storms" by Dieuwke-Jean Linee

Description

Acrylic on boxed canvas

The Cape, initially named 'Cabo das Tormentas' by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 due to its violent storms, was later redesignated 'Cabo da Boa Esperança' (Cape of Good Hope) by King John II of Portugal shortly after Dias's 1488 discovery, in anticipation of a viable sea route to India despite the inherent risks.
In this piece Adamastor is a non-European mythical figure, reimagined as a Khoe woman, as she symbolizes an indigenous and ethereal opposition to Portuguese incursions around the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Town is also aptly referred to as the "Mother City" by locals today.