The Vakalisa Art Association was founded in 1982. It was a network of Black cultural workers that operated in the Western Cape. James Matthews, a well renown poet, writer and publisher, was a founding member of Vakalisa, along with Peter Edward Clarke, another well known artist.
The organisation consisted of artists such as Patrick Holo, Sydney Holo, Michael Barry, Rashid Lombard and Lionel Davis, among others.
The organisation held exhibitions and cultural events in publicly accessible spaces such as libraries and community halls. During this time, Vakalisa published two volumes of poetry and five calendars for the years 1984, ‘85, ‘86, ‘89 and ‘92.