What does Cape Town have in common with New York, Sao Paulo, Berlin, London and Paris? It may not appear as the obvious answer at first, but Cape Town joins these other cities as one of the world's top destinations when it comes to graffiti or street art, as is fast becoming the preferred term
Traversing simple acts of vandalism and maturing into a fully fledged art form, street art is conscious of itself and its strength to communicate with people. For this reason street art, perhaps more than any other form of art, carries strong social and political messages
This is incredibly evident on the streets of Cape Town, which abound with striking pieces that are not only beautiful but also insightful and loaded with meaning
From political icons such as Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko, heroes of the struggle against apartheid, to works that highlight issues of social injustices such as the abuse of women and the gap between the poor and rich - very real issues that South Africa is struggling to come to terms with - Cape Town's street art gives a voice to the voiceless and a forum for authentic expression in the urban wilderness
Street artists are a special breed. Ever weary of the system, they conceal their identities behind aliases, treat the streets as their canvas, and live like revolutionaries, albeit trading guns for spray paint cans
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