lady skollie is leaving her mark on south african rand

Spending coins designed by women may be the new wave, thanks to beloved South African artivist Lady Skollie (Laura Windvogel). Your girl Skollie literally got 5 on it, since she just designed the face of South Africa’s new five Rand coin that will go into circulation as a part of a campaign featuring other artists, commemorating 25 years of South Africa’s democracy. Lady Skollie announced on her Instagram yesterday that she also designed a bronze alloy R50 coin as a collectible alternative to the customary salmon-colored note. I’m not sure what level of artist you have to be to collect your coins designing coins but Lady Skollie is it, which is no surprise considering the way she shakes the South African art scene.

 

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Finally allowed to tell you: I designed the new R5 coin. I am now cemented as a part of South African history forever. This one is for my people. Thank you God. Thank you to @southafricanmint 💰🇿🇦💱 #SA25 📷 @blazingnonbinary

A post shared by Lady Skollie (@ladyskollie) on Jun 5, 2019 at 1:18am PDT

The South African Mint head hunted Skollie and four other artists comprising of Neo Mahlangu, Rasty Knayles, Maaike Bakker and Peter Maames. Six coins were designed overall, each relating to a specific set of rights that need more practical attention in South African society. According to Engineering.com, the six new coins going into circulation are:

• R2 ‘Children’s Rights,’ designed by Neo Mahlangu
• R2 ‘Right to Education,’ also designed by Mahlangu
• R2 ‘Environmental Rights,’ designed by Maaike Bakker
• R2 ‘Right to Movement and Residence,’ designed by Rasty Knayles
• R2 ‘Freedom of Religion, Belief and Opinion,’ designed by Peter Mammes
• R5 ‘Let us Live and Strive for Freedom,’ designed by Lady Skollie

 

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I designed a coin for my country. HAPPY #FREEDOMDAY 🇿🇦 R50 sterling-silver collectable coin features the constitutional democracy in action, symbolised by a line of people queuing to vote as they did on 27 April 1994 in the first democratic elections in South Africa. It was the first time that all South Africans were allowed to vote. The snake-like qualities of the queue of people running into the distance was the primary motivation for the design by Lady Skollie (Laura Windvogel) who drew inspiration from San rock paintings and the element of waiting for a better tomorrow (in a queue). 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦💰💱 Many thanks to the @southafricanmint More important coin related news coming soon.

A post shared by Lady Skollie (@ladyskollie) on Apr 27, 2019 at 10:13am PDT

Each coin represents a facet of South Africa’s infamous constitution, which is heralded around the world as one of the most liberal in the world while South Africans still suffer under its ineffective application thus far. ‘Children’s Rights’ suffers under the weight of violence experienced by young South Africans. The ‘Right To Education’ suffers under the gross injustice depicted by an education that still allows for mud schools in poorer parts of the country with pits for toilets. Twenty-five years is by no means enough time to address the systemic and psychological effects of the apartheid regime but what these artists want to re-iterate is a refocusing on our core governing document and the power it was given to shape the Rainbow National South Africans were promised.

“I believe we have an excellent set of coins befitting this momentous occasion in our lives, which will also serve to remind us of our rights and responsibilities toward our constitutional democracy,” said South African Mint MD Tumi Tsehlo.

Lady Skollie is the sole designer of the only new R5 that will go into circulation. It’s a feat to get an artist’s work in front of a crowd — Lady Skollie will have her creation in the hands of every South African after the new coin goes into circulation in August. From here on out, the R5 coin will no longer be referred to as a “5-bob” — get ready to pay for parking with a Skollie, y’all.