PaintUp with Kamamma™

PaintUp with Kamamma™ is an innovative project developed by Dreamcatcher in collaboration with the community of Melkhoutfontein to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the area. A series of murals beautify houses to tell stories, depict social history, and reawaken the cultural significance of the area.

Launched in 2016 by the then Dutch Ambassador to South Africa Marisa Gerards and then Dreamcatcher Ambassador Dutch celebrity Karin Bloemen, over 30 houses have been designed and painted by artists collaborating with the community. Themes vary from the nearby Blombos cave (home to the earliest evidence of humankind as artists), the world famous fish traps, local fauna and flora, and social history. You can find out more information on each design from the links below. You can also attend WalkAbout™ community tours where community guides tell the stories behind the designs. In addition many other houses have now been painted with paint donated through the project.

Due to Covid the project was suspended as we focused on reallocating resources to support communities throughout the pandemic. Due to the popularity and positive impact of PaintUp with Kamamma we will moving onto the post-pandemic phase in 2024. We are currently collaborating with the community to identify the next 8 homes where the new murals will be painted – including some in the new housing project. In March/April we will be preparing the walls of these homes including painting the base course and in September/October the murals will be painted by community members working alongside Bruce who will be training and mentoring aspiring mural artists. We will also be carrying out some maintenance work on the existing murals. 

Bruce Rimell
The inspirational Bruce Rimell, the creative mind behind many of the murals

We acknowledge the wonderful support of all collaborators in particular the numerous community members and volunteers who have contributed to the project so far. In particular we are truly grateful to the inspiring artist Bruce Rimell whose work is based on ethnographic and archaeological themes. Bruce has been a true inspiration and has led the design and painting of many of the murals. Bruce and Chris have become dear friends of Dreamcatcher and the community. We also acknowledge the support of the Utopia Foundation.

For more information on how you could get involved please contact us

The Swift People 1
The Swift People 1
Swift People 2 - grid
Swift People 2
Eland People
Eland People
Swift People 3
Swift People 3
Strandlopers
Strandlopers
Timewalk-grid
Timewalk - from Blombos to Melkhoutfontein
Southern Cross Grid
Southern Cross Over Melkhoutfontein
Red Ochre Dancers
Red Ochre Dancers
From Here to Everywhere
From Here to Everywhere
Memories of Blombos
Memories of Blombos
Swift People 4
Swift People 4
Shipwreck tales
Shipwreck Tales
Building the Fishtraps
Building the Fishtraps
Under the Milkwood Tree
Under the Milkwood Tree
Making Ochre at Blombos
Making Ochre at Blombos
Swift People 6
Swift People 6
Swift People 7
Swift People 7
The Ancestor's Return
The Ancestor's Return
The Leopard People
The Leopard People
Fishing Tales
Fishing Tales
Celebrating Nature
Celebrating Nature
Churches of Melkhoutfontein
Churches of Melkhoutfontein
Gone Fishing
Gone Fishing
Footy
Footy
Melkhoutfontein Landscape
Melkhoutfontein Landscape
Preekstoel
Preekstoel
Wasteland - Gracedland
Wasteland - Gracedland