In celebration of World Art Day on 15 April 2025 — a day that highlights the vital connection between art and society — the recently completed Naledi Clinic in Soweto offers a striking example of how artistic expression can enhance public spaces and enrich community wellbeing.
Delivered by the Johannesburg Development Agency on behalf of the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Health, Naledi Clinic is a state-of-the-art facility and the latest addition to the City’s growing network of 75 primary healthcare centres.
Strategically situated in the heart of Soweto, the clinic not only provides essential health services but also stands as a symbol of healing, community, and creativity.
On arrival, visitors are welcomed by a vibrant, thought-provoking mural by local graffiti artist Chris November. The artwork encourages onlookers to reflect on their emotional connection with healthcare spaces, offering a visually engaging and humanising element to the clinical environment.
Known in the art community as Chrome, November hails from Emndeni and brings a deeply personal perspective to his work. Raised in a large family of labourers and surrounded by nine siblings, November’s journey into art began with doodling, painting, and experimenting with graffiti from a young age.
For the Naledi Clinic mural, November drew inspiration from the theme “We Care”, aiming to fuse the concepts of medicine and community. “I wanted to blend the medical and community aspects into one,” he said. At first glance, the mural appears to show a mother and father holding a baby, but a closer look reveals that it is, in fact, a doctor and a nurse caring for an infant.
“I wanted to create an image that fosters trust between patients and healthcare workers, allowing them to see healthcare professionals as an integral part of the community,” he explained. “It is crucial that patients feel safe and comfortable during their treatment. Additionally, this mural also aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence, a pervasive issue in our country.”
November’s early influences came from his older brothers, local comic books, and mural artists and signwriters from the 1980s. He credits his older brother Bulelani November as the person who inspired his passion for art: “I want to give credit to my older brother Bulelani November for my love for painting, as he was my biggest influence. I looked up to him so much that, from the age of seven, I spent years trying to emulate his drawing style before eventually developing my own.”
His mother also played a pivotal role in nurturing his talent, offering consistent critique and encouragement. “Many of the art techniques I still use today were instilled in me by my mother, who believed deeply in my artistic abilities,” he added.