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THE GOLDEN SHOES SABIR ADAM ALI
THE GOLDEN SHOES
SABIR ADAM ALI
This powerful painting tells a story of a father sending his son to
Kakuma to try to find work and send money back to the family. The
father lowers his boy down into a pit with the hope that he will
collect the golden shoes, a sign of status, wealth, and opportunity.
But once inside, the child sees the black apples, representing
temptation and destruction. Instead of reaching for the shoes, the
boy cuts the rope, so he no longer has to return to his father.
The shoes remain untouched, a reminder of the dreams the father
had for his son, while the black apples symbolise the lure of drugs
within Kakuma, something that ruins the lives of so many young
people in the camp.