Omar Badsha

Omar Badsha (born 27 June 1945) is a South African self-taught artist, photographer, writer, historian, curator and political/cultural activist. He was born in Durban and grew up in a working-class Indian Muslim family. His father, Ebrahim Badsha, was an artist and sign writer, while his uncle Moosa Badsha was a photographer and photojournalist. Both strongly influenced his artistic development. Badsha became politically active as a young man in the aftermath of the Sharpeville Massacre and the banning of liberation organisations. He later became involved in trade union activism and the anti-apartheid movement. His interest in photography developed partly through his trade-union educational work, where he saw the need to document injuries and conditions affecting workers. Quotes On art and the struggle "We became part of that generation of artists who used art as part of the struggle, as a weapon in the struggle.” On photography and society “Photography is not just an art but that it also plays a vital role in representation of society.” External links Category:1945 births Category: Living people Category:People from South Africa