Category Archives: African photographers

A place of dreams, hope and resilience

by jrdijkstra Posted on April 10, 2015

African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews.

Having recently worked in Kenya -his home country-, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, Burundi, Congo (Brazzaville) and South Africa, it’s fair to say that photographer Felix Masi is a good example of a professional that knows what’s going on in his continent. He is an award winning independent photojournalist who has seen the challenges and big changes of his country and continent; a child born in poverty who faced his fears and decided to point his camera towards them. “I’m confronting the social ills that has been the face of this continent only known for it’s tragedies”, Felix explains. Through my photography I try to divert from what in commonly known in foreign eyes as the 3Ds: death, disease and despair. Africa is so different than that.”

Tourists

Felix understands that telling an unbiased and truthful story is by no means easy, but he accepts that challenge gratefully. “Most of the stories about our continent have been told by foreigners; first journalists flying in for a news story and nowadays more and more by tourists who have no idea or understanding of Africa and it’s country’s they transit through while on vacation. The problem is that they all have a blog, social media and smartphone for instant updates – which is fine – but the problem is that their stories are not a true representation of reality and are mostly one sided. Yet they get send into the world and judged by others who know even less.”

Big steps

His international experience has enabled Felix to stand up and walk tall and tell the African tale from a personal point of view, as he holds his motherland close to my heart. Many countries have a fast growing economy and are booming, a subject he likes to capture and emphasize. “Countries like Kenya and Nigeria are ahead when it comes to technological advances and Nairobi and Lagos count as hubs for international photography. We’re making big steps forward, but also still have a long way to go. That’s why it’s important to photograph a ‘New Africa’ and instead of going to the slums in those cities focus on the banking, IT and other progressive businesses. Positive stories, though it’s easier to sell a negative images. That is the part which needs to change and what I’m fighting for with my photography.”

Hardship

The African story can perfectly be told by Africans themselves according to Felix. Those who have lived to see the change of their continent and would wish to see the same on every screen, in every paper and every magazine. “It’s time we told our own tale, but I have to admit that photographing in some African countries isn’t easy. In Angela or the DRC for example – where I currently live – it can be a painstakingly exercise. People are paranoid for cameras because of memories from old regimes; think you portray the wrong thing and want to harm them. That’s one of the reasons it’s also hard to show the change and hope in photography there. And then I’m not even talking about areas of north-east Africa where rebels are in power and it’s practically impossible to photograph without risking your life. However, those untold stories are just as important and can give a balanced view of the continent.

Hope

Felix recently was surprised when an NGO asked him to shoot a positive series about his home country, but it’s the way forward he says. “All these success stories are due to modern technology which has ignited the (mostly) young and old in living the African dream and confronting the cliches painted by foreign media.” Having taken thousands of images and traveling all over the world throughout his freelance career Felix sees the African continent as a cradle of hope for humankind. “The awakening continent where all it’s people, of all shapes and sizes will rise up and be respected wherever they go because they are united and carry the pride of being the success story of the soil”, he says. “I’m a strong believer in the growth of our continent and I’m not turning back. I want to be part of this success story. Through my lens I have seen and captured amazing dreams, hope and resilience. Africa is making huge leaps forward, so if you thought Africa was a poor place: think again.”

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South Africa through personal experiences

by jrdijkstra Posted on February 18, 2015

“It can be considered that as a South African growing up within a changing political and social environment these transitional facets are influential. Upbringing, tradition, religion and family can all play a role in ones own identity and conscience when exploring various societal dynamics through photography”, Ilan Godfrey says. The photographer from Johannesburg is born is 1980 and lives in Cape Town at the moment, but most of his photographic series still evolve around his hometown. His focus is mainly on subjects transpired out of personal experiences and life events, like ‘Louis Botha Avenue’ and ‘Living With Crime’.

Cross section

“It was on initiation of these projects that social, economical, geographical and historical themes began to surface”, he explains. “They bring to the fore various elements that engage with South Africa on multiple levels and that shift in relation to the narratives I am compiling. With most of my personal work I strive to reveal a more contemplative and honest explorations of life within the seams.” Ilan strives to focus on a cross section of South Africa, all classes, races, religions and cultures. “So I am ultimately bringing together all South Africans through new avenues of story telling where possible.”

‘Living With Crime’

The untold stories that don’t make the headlines, those deserve supplementary exploration and expansion according to Ilan. Drawing together various layers that reveal the good and the bad sides of South Africa. “My brush strokes are broad and tangential incorporating characteristics of our changing society in one-way or another.” His first series, ‘Living With Crime’, reflects back to the decade of the 1980s; one of the most violent periods in South African history. “This period was characterized by the extensive use of force by the South African state and those opposing. By the 1990s, the term ‘culture of violence’ was frequently used to describe the conflict that shrouded South African society. The nature of this violence bled into all parts of public life, undermining the ethical, and social fabric of society.

“What the images in this series represent are various communities in South Africa that have been affected by crime, who have survived a horrible ordeal or have had to live with the loss of a loved one due to crime. And through my work they will have the opportunity to express their feelings of sadness and anger as they struggle to come to terms with the psychological and emotional impact of their loss and that much in their current structural situation remains unchanged for instance the architectural environment they live in, with the constant threat of recurring crime.”

‘Louis Botha Avenue’

After this series Ilan was concerned with photographing Louis Botha Avenue, a major street in Johannesburg. Botha however believed in maintaining black traditions and in totally segregating black and white, except where black people were needed as workers. “In post-apartheid South Africa, divisions and historical facets are transforming within a new urban democracy. The council announced its intention to replace apartheid street names with names that reflect the country’s democracy, freedom and cultural diversity. This series can be seen as a time-line of change that represents the reconstruction of what is old into what is new. Reflected are the subtle and extreme changes that diversify and alienate me in a place I once knew and now try to understand. ‘Louis Botha Avenue’ reveals a chapter in my life as a youth but also a microcosm of Johannesburg as a city of extremes.”

The mine

More recently Ilan focussed on South Africa’s demand for gold, diamonds, coal and platinum, that for more than a century has gone from strength to strength, often shifting in accordance with the political economy and the availability of foreign markets. Mineral exploitation by means of cheap and disposable labour has brought national economic growth, making the mining industry the largest industrial sector in South Africa. “The mine”, irrespective of the particular minerals extracted Ilan explains, “is central to understanding societal change across the country and evidently comparable to mining concerns around the world. This enabled me to channel my conception of ‘the mine’ into visual representations that gave agency to these forgotten communities. The countless stories of personal suffering are brought to the surface and the legacy of ‘the mine’ is revealed.”

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A second reading

by jrdijkstra Posted on February 11, 2015

“Prejudices motivate me”, says Joana Choumali. The photographer from Ivory Coast wants to change opinions of people who have a wrong view on the African continent in general and her home country in specific. “I cannot force a person to change his or her views, but I can take it to reflect, interact, draw conclusions by herself. I like the answers to my photographs to come from a person who sees my work. Living and working in the capital Abidjan, where she also studied at an art school and before worked as art director for an advertising agency, she is now fully focussed on photography. “It allows me to express myself, talk about my country, my generation and my continent ‘from the inside’. I often speak about identity because it is a subject close to my heart; it often comes to my mind.”

Hââbré

Joana gets her inspiration from conversations, the news and life in general – the past, present and future. She likes to have a ‘second reading’ of what is happening around her. “How an event affects those around me, how to translate that into my work, ask questions, seek answers” she explains. Her latest photographic series ‘The Last Generation’ for example shows portraits of the ‘last generation’ of scarified people in Abidjan. The series questions identity in a contemporary Africa torn between its past and present. “In the Kô language of Burkina Faso the word Hââbré means both writing and scarification. Scarification is the practice of performing a superficial incision on human skin. This practice is disappearing due to pressure from religious and state authorities, changing urban practices and the introduction of clothing within tribes. Nowadays only the older people have scarifications. While conducting my research, the majority of images I could find were from the beginning of the 20th century, and only a few contemporary images. I also had trouble finding scarified people to photograph because of their rarity.”

Immigrants

This series of portraits leads us to question the link between past and present, and how self-image shifts depending on environment. The sometimes conflicting opinions of our witnesses illustrate the complexity of African identity today in a contemporary Africa torn between its past and its future. This ‘last generation’ of people bearing the imprint of the past on their faces went from being the norm and having a high social value to being somewhat ‘excluded’. “They are the last witnesses of an Africa of a bygone era”, Joana says. It’s a prime example of her work being imbued with sensitivity and emotion.

The series might have been about immigrants from Burkina Faso, but there is certainly a link with Ivory Coast. “They lived in Abidjan for so long that they consider themselves as Abidjanese. But these scarifications kept telling them that they are from another place, another time. My point was really to collect of the testimony of these persons who have left their village and who are settled in this city to work. Ivory Coast is a country of immigration, yet several people told me that they had been the target of bullying, mocking the fact of their scarring. These people had to integrate as they can to the Ivorian society and more specifically Abidjan which is recognized as being one of the largest African metropolises.”

Expression

Even if the subject is delicate and can create discomfort around her , it does not stop Joana to keep on shooting. She works in Ivory coast as well as abroad and doesn’t questions herself about the location. “If I feel the need, I work wherever I can. I have no preference, it just depends on my subject.” She explains that more and more young Ivorians are interested in photography and the market therefore becomes more busy. “I think the first reason is a desire of expression, of recognition through this form of art. Next to that the internet allows young African photographers to access more information on photography and art in general. This definitely opens possibilities, but the access to professional equipment is still limited. Hopefully this will change in the future, to help more upcoming talent reach the audience they deserve.”

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Creating conversations

by jrdijkstra Posted on November 18, 2014

What do you do when you actually want to draw, but are not very good at it? You become a photographer. At least that’s what Ghanaian Michael Newlove-Mensah did. It felt like photography came natural to him, because he was fascinated about speaking without words since a young age. Keeping an open mind while working is very important to him, because he’s ‘always looking to help bring understanding to issues’. “I aim to tell a story from both sides, so all parties van appreciate it. Experiences and backgrounds normally dictate how we see things and react to them, but I try to look further, not influencing the stories but capturing them as they are.”

Perception

When shooting people in their natural setting, Michael just snaps – everything has to happen spontaneous. According to the photographer we see a bit of ourselves in every frame, because they act like a mirror. “In this I try to capture the essence of the action. As long as it informs, educates and/or changes perceptions, I’m happy. Even better though is when the image actually confronts you and makes you think. In my perception every person is unique and I want to show that even though everybody shares certain similarities each person has their own tasks and their own ways of handling things. Yet we’re all affected by everything that happens around us; it’s that synergy that makes live so unique and interesting for me to capture.”

Hope, kindness and culture

Michael never suffers of a lack of stories to tell since there is always enough going on in Ghana. “The stories are always there”, he says, “I just tell the ones I’m drawn to for whatever reason.” He wants to present his country as it is; ‘a country of beauty, warmth and love’. “Filled with people full of hope, kindness and a very rich and diverse culture.” He does understand however that they also have their bad days and faults just like any other society. But according to Michael these aspects bring forth their strength. “You will know this if you have ever interacted with a Ghanaian”, he laughs. His agenda only beholds portraying Ghana as he sees it, hoping for an effect, a reaction or a conversation at best. In the future he hopes to show his work around the world, being able to draw parallels with stories from all these different parts of the globe. “Hopefully leading to conversations that can heal and create understanding.”

High speed

Capturing so many different aspects of society requires Michael to be able to quickly adapt to any setting. He never knows where the story might take him. The most important thing for him is the story and like said before, there is no short supply of that. “We are in a very interesting time where information flows constantly at high speed and as photographers we have to jump in to that. For years a negative perception has been created of life in Africa and with all the technology that has become available over the past years we are able to change that perception. Things are getting clearer now and our photographs are the missing frames to a better view. The Ghanaians are here now, with our cameras.”

Improving

With that it also helps that the photography scene in Ghana is constantly improving according to Michael. Not only the photographers skill set and technical know-how, but also the understanding of more accomplished photographers by taking workshops and looking at others work. “We are fortunate to be home to some of the most legendary photographers with international exposure, like James Banor and Chris Hesse. They motivated a new generation of photographers like Nii Obodai who again hold the doors to upcoming artists like myself.” He sees the same happening in other African countries with people like Emeka Okereke. “All in all, there is a positively conscious movement that produce photographs that represent Africa in it’s own light and glory and it’s done by African photographic talents. That’s a very good thing.”

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The different side of Brazzaville

by jrdijkstra Posted on November 14, 2014

Before his dad wanted to give Baudouin Mouanda his Zenit camera, he first had to show good results in school. Apparently he did, because now the Congolese photographer is not only capturing the reality and hidden worlds of his society, but is also part of the photography collective Generation Elili. “We work to promote Congolese photography internationally”, Baudoin explains. “Our situation is not only difficult because of what is happening in our country, but also as photographers self as well. We need to support each other, hence the start of this collective.” Since 2003 they meet every last Friday of the month to discuss photography and show each other their work. Next to that they blog and organize photo walk through Brazzaville to introduce people in the street to their work. “We want to tell a broad audience what we do and show them a different side of their city. Last year we also organized a meeting with photographers from other African countries like Mali, Niger and Tunisia to get to know each other and exchange ideas. Now it’s actually time to organize an international photography event in Congo-Brazzaville.”

Teaching

Baudoin, who won the Young Talent Award at Encounters of Africa Photography in Bamako in 2009, focusses mainly on political and social subjects with his photographers and has the strong urge to educate others. Not only other photographers, but also members of his local community and even an international audience. “I want others to understand the world we (Congolese) live in, including the problems we struggle with. But I do want to do this through good imagery. That’s the reason I don’t just go out and shoot on the street usually, but plan my shoots with models to express the feelings and situations I experience in daily life.” His first motivation however, is a person one: if an image isn’t good or interesting enough for him, Baudouin automatically considers it not good enough for his audience. “Yet when I’m content with it, I afterwards don’t care what others think about it. At least it’s good enough for me.”

Representing Brazzaville

According to Baudouin, who was also featured in Al Jazeera’s Artscape: The New African Photography other photographers sketch a wrong image of Africa as only being poor and war torn. With this he doesn’t only refer to foreign correspondents, but also his fellow countrymen. “It’s what sells and even though we need money to survive, it’s not the way I want to showcase my country. Together with the other photographer of Generation Elili we therefore try to represent Brazzaville differently. Suffering is everywhere – not only in Africa. Our task is to show the real image of our lives, knowing that we are here every day and know all the ins-and-outs. We – the Congolese – are the only ones who can show the audience a balanced picture.” Luckily Baudouin thinks that photography in Brazzaville is developing and growing. There is more room for their work and people are more interested in what they have to show. “We also go to schools to show our photography and open their eyes. A lot of young photographers have come up for the years and now flourish.”

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“They were actually surprised that it was a fellow African photographing them”

by jrdijkstra Posted on September 8, 2014

Somewhere in 2001, Andrew Eseibo was asked by a friend what he wanted as a gift. “A camera”, he replied. And so Eseibo (1978) got a camera and started to teach himself to be a photographer. Before he was never encouraged to follow his artistic dream, because growing up photography was not considered a profession in his home country of Nigeria. “But quickly I got stuck, because the once that did earn money with it, did so by doing commercial work; weddings, portraits and such. That didn’t really inspire me, so I started browsing the internet to get in touch with foreign photographers and look at photography books to get inspired.”

Nigeria on his mind

Born and living in Lagos, he started chronicling the rapid development of urban Nigeria as well as the country’s rich culture and heritage in Nigeria’s largest city Ibadan. Eseibo is primarily concerned with the lives of ordinary Africans, which shows in the subjects of his series. “I’m interested in simple things that happen around me. That’s why for a series like ‘Pool Betting’ I photographed the trend of football pool betting amongst older men, for ‘God is Alive’ I record religious spaces spread throughout the country to demonstrate how Nigerians express their own brand of praise and in ‘Nigeria on My Mind’ I bundle our cultural heritage, ethnic diversity and geographic beauty of my country”. Some of his other work includes capturing the bustling night life of Lagos and the associated bouncers, the appropriating of football in unconventional environments in his country and the story of Sunny Omini, an ex-football star turned missionary.

Heavy subjects

But there are also more serious subjects that capture Eseibo’s eye, like he shows with his series ‘Living Positive’: “I followed the black, female lesbian with HIV Thoko Ngubeni, who has to fight all kinds of discrimination and stigmatization. Rejected by her family and friend and at one point on the verge of death, she now managed to turn her life around. In an untitled, on-going portrait series I photograph resilient African gays to challenge the stereotypical representation of LGBTQ’s in African cultures.” After gaining international recognition over the past decade, Eseibo also started exploring new creative territories and integrating multimedia, like for his series ‘Barbara Encounter’ about a Zambian sex worker and ‘Living Queer African’, about a homosexuals student from Cameroon trying to make a new life for himself in France.

Barbershops

His latest work however concerns a lighter subject again: barbershops. For ‘Pride’ he traveled through seven African countries, mainly focussing on cities, portraying urban aesthetics, hairstyles, nuances and the people that make all of that possible, barbers. “They were actually surprised that it was a fellow African portraying them, not an American or European. Everybody here knows about it, but nobody took the time to go deeper into the social function of them. It was the first time an African did it, but the barbers understood the importance of the project and said they would go the extra mile to support me.” Eseibo points out that many other photographers pass by on these subjects, especially if they come from ‘outside’ and don’t know what’s going on in the society. “Until now, the story of our continent has been told by non-Africans. For example, every time they come to Lagos, they want to go the slums. Why not expand? Now that we have the tools and skills, I feel responsible to fill in that gap.”

World Cup

In 2010 Eseibo was selected for the Road to Twenty Ten project to form an all-African dream team of 16 journalists and photographers to provide alternative stories from the World Cup in South Africa. Before that he did a number of artistic residencies in Paris, London and South Korea. He is also the initiator and co-organizer of ‘My Eye, My World’, a participatory photography workshop for socially-excluded children in Nigeria, and a member of the Lagos-based photography collective BlackBox. His work has been exhibited all over the world and published in books, magazines and websites.

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New African photography: Adeola Olagunju

by jrdijkstra Posted on August 19, 2014

Predestination, our fate and ultimate destination, those are some of the subjects that keep going through Nigerian photographer Adeola Olagunju’s head. “How does our head determine where our feet go?”, she asked herself philosophically when working on one of her most recent series, called Paths & Patterns. “The route we chose gets determined by aspects like our tradition, family and society. But it’s our feet that take us everywhere and show the memories of these trips in their color, wrinkles, scars and spots.” She consciously began to keenly observe the feet of people she met and shared experiences with. Amazed to perceive what our bodies communicate without our knowledge, she decided to photograph them.

Image creation

For Olagunju photography is simply a means to an end; a viable medium of expression that helps her promulgate the essence of her artistic ideas. She doesn’t merely shoot what she sees or registers a certain event, but tries to express what she sees as her own truth. “Art is fluid and I therefore affiliate more with the description of artist than being tagged as photographer. The process before and after shooting an image is just as important as the actual moment I capture it. My content emanates from within when I consciously engage in the process of image creation. I believe this enables me to recognize and acknowledge my image when I see it.” She wants to keep her work open for the audience’s perception, not imposing her own expression or emphasizing on something specific that she expects the people to see.

Resurgence

Take another series of Olagunju for example: Evolve. In this she stars herself, using her body and personal experiences to create poetic images. “It’s a highly introspective and experimental project, something very close to me”, she explains. “Just like my other series, Resurgence, I which I also use self portraits. It’s a manifesto of photographic performances which showcase the unacceptability and high level of socio-religion and political decadence in Africa. It’s what I consider the reality of Nigeria and the African continent at large.” This series reflects her forthrightness and crusade for resurgence from mental shackles. It focusses on the quest for reawakening and awareness of our sense of identity that is – according to Olagunju – is being threatened and likewise paying attention to the form and signs of possible resistance. “We find ourselves in a world that takes its cue from negative and dark ideas, which spreads like a virus ultimately becoming a strand hold for oppression and slavery. Resurgence forms a subtle presentation of still performances that questions and provokes thoughts.”

Improvement

Although Lagos resident Olagunju – who has a degree in Fine and Applied Arts from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology – is critical, she does see an undeniable development in photography in her country. She thinks it’s even more of a commercial success than other arts. “I strongly think the art of photography needs more growth and strength in both content and language though. The limitation I see is the inability of local photographers to evolve from a certain genre to explore other possibilities.” Because this, she believes, will help break new vistas and improve the quality and diversity of photography in Nigeria.

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Life is about beauty

by jrdijkstra Posted on July 11, 2014

“I have always recognized photography as a means of evoking a powerful language which words cannot convey. I’m therefore interested in the medium as a form of self-expression.” Nigerian photographer and multimedia artist Charles Okereke moved to the capital of his home country right after his graduation from the University of Port-Harcourt just for that reason. “Lagos is recognized as the active, artistic and creative hub of Nigeria”, he explains. “I actually didn’t want to concern myself with reportage or documentary photography, but had a deep sense of the state of the environment in a mega city like Lagos and felt that I had the responsibility to use photography in a constructive way to make a positive contribution.” Until this day that’s what Charles is concerned with: creative conscious images that avoid the cliché of environmental photography that elevate the concerns to a dimension which is too ‘artistic’ in it’s representation. “So I opted for a use of metaphors as a personal way of expression.”

Making impact

It wasn’t an easy step for Charles though. He studied visual arts – majored in sculpturing – and his internship with a publication company gave him the opportunity to work in a darkroom in which he developed a sense for well-defined images. “Which complement a quality print publication and can be used as a veritable tool for mass awareness and information dissemination. Together with a few colleagues, among which Uche James Iroha, we started using photography in a different context by using our own bodies as subjects while exploring the technicalities of analogue photography.” Right after his graduation however, he ventured into designing metal, wood and fiberglass sculptures and furniture, but although economically lucrative, it did not challenge his creative input. “Hence my move to Lagos.” In this city he aims to identify himself as a Nigerian artist with one purpose: to make an impact on society using photography as a circular platform. Motivated by the consciousness of the needs of his environment and the responsibility to the overall development of his country.

Collective responsibility

Charles does not believe in the notion of representing his continent and country in a derogatory fashion, because life for him is about beauty. Even though it’s a hard environment to live and work in – “what is easily achieved in more developed countries can take years to accomplish in Africa, especially Nigeria” – he wants to transpose how outsiders view his country. “This is not an individual effort, but a collective responsibility. We have to create awareness, because there’s a lot of unconsciousness among the majority of people. I would like my work to be seen as an expression for a valid and candid representation of my country and Africa as a whole.”

There are a lot of colleagues that Charles admires for already doing so, like Uche Okpa Iroha with his Nlele Institute, Uche James Iroha with Photo Garage and Emeka Okereke’s Invisible Borders. He also mentions Photofest from Aida Munuleh as pushing the frontiers of photography, Ananias Leki Dago and Senegals Koyo Kouoh Raw Material Company for promoting emerging artists.

Collective responsibility

Within this representation however, Charles does not back away from critiquing it’s own leaders and the west. According to him Africa has been the dump site for foreign waste; multinationals committing atrocities and destroying the productivity of a continent in which this far exceeds it’s consumption. “This creates ripple consequences which could be termed socio-political in their effect. Just like saying there is a rising economy in our continent when infrastructure and basic necessities haven’t even been provided to the majority yet. It’s a misrepresentation, a falsehood peddled by capitalists seeking investors to create a false hope in the place of despair. Rather, saying there is a rising economy is a delusion and for me as a photographer issues that I aim to expunge.” Using photography as a platform Charles also wants to seek conscientious leadership amongst the youth, because that has been the bane for the new generation of Nigerians. Together with other arts, photography has shown to be the only activity that has raised the standard and value of contemporary youths in the country and luckily there had been a fast acceptance of the media. “Yet more effort is needed in a thorough and proper education of the use of it as a veritable tool in appropriating and disseminating factual information which does not distort reality.”

Stimulating

“With my photography I try to create awareness by elevating the mundane, the ordinary and the discarded from the common place to a valuable state which thereby incites a discourse. Shooting the usual with an unusual approach which defamiliarizes the known to an artistic level which in its duality instructs and at the same time enchants.” The future for Charles is now and now is the time to create this future. For this reason he started the Alexander Academy of Art, Design and Alternative Methods, training young, talented Nigerians and other Africans in arts-related subjects and design. “They are the future and guiding them encourages me to put more effort in realizing my own objectives as well.”

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Showing the best of Tanzania

by jrdijkstra Posted on May 14, 2014

‚I owe it to my country to showcase it in the best way possible. Luckily Tanzania is gradually being shown in a more positive way to the outside world, because we suffered from years of photographic misrepresentation.’ Strong language from Abeid Kumkichwa, the photographer, graphic designer and co-founder (together with Abdulrahman Abdulrasool) of Kumkichwa Art Gallery from Dar Es Salaam. He aims to show the through beauty that exists all around him by engaging with the environment. ‚I have an eye for beauty in it’s most natural form, which helps me to capture this on camera and share with the world. When doing so I have a sense that I owe the world something; a feeling I can only fulfil with photography.’

What Abeid portrays with his photography is what takes place in Tanzania every day. All he does is choose the right images to tell the true story of his country, whether politically, socially or economically. ‚I started doing so with black and white projects back in 2010, but ever since I was a child I have had a passion for photography. In the beginning working as a photographer was very challenging for me, because I didn’t know how to approach people or what to focus on. But I’ve learned to deal with these challenges and turn them into opportunities, not letting anything overcome my passion for photography.’ To achieve this ‚Abeid the Fotografa’ works on personal projects as well as in commercial photography, combining the two. ‚I think there is a big difference between those who work solely in commercial photography and those who work personally. On the one hand you have photographers who cannot do anything else but satisfy their client, where for example street photographers aim to expose themselves with their own projects. For me, one supplies me with enough funds to do the other.’

A factor that definitely helps him in his work to showcase Tanzania in it’s best way is the developing economy of his country. There is a steady growth of the photography industry and in the number of photographers, which makes it a respectable profession now and gives photographers the change to earn a living out of it. ‚I think photography is only going to grow bigger and bigger here in Tanzania because of the professionalisation and the availability of resources’, he explains. ‚We’ve got to keep an eye out for real talent though, because having a lot of photographers doesn’t mean they’re all competent or passionate about what they do’. The amount of photographers is growing rapidly since 2009, which resulted in the creation of the Tanzania Photography Exhibition in the National Museum of Dar Es Salaam last year. ‚The organisers aimed at uniting photographers from throughout the country and I think they succeeded. Before this event I used to show my images online or privately, but now they were professionally curated and followed the theme of the exhibition – cooperating with my colleagues.’

Now that the photography market in Tanzania is improving and the amount of photographers growing, it’s time for Abeid to conquer the international scene. According to him professionals in markets abroad still think that Africans live a primitive way of life, filled with hunger, poverty and war. ‚But that’s far from always the case. We now live in a world in which the only difference is time. I aim to let the audience know what is really going on in our society through my images of people and nature. Once they get thrilled you have their attention and after that you can tell them a different story; show them a different view.’ While continuing to show the upsides of his country and trying to have his audience understand that Tanzania is a beautiful, diverse and developed country, he aims his lens across the border: ‚I want to experience what is going on outside of my own country, exhibit across the glove and host my own exhibitions. Everything starts on a personal level, after that you go national and pave your way to the international market. That’s my goal.’

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Posted in African photographers, This is Africa | Tagged Abeid Kumkichwa, African photography, Tanzania | Leave a comment

‚My photographs don’t belong in a drawer’

by jrdijkstra Posted on April 16, 2014

Africa might be a colourful continent, through the eyes of Sabelo Mlangeni (1980) from South Africa it’s a world in black and white. It emphasises the essence of the subjects he photographs. With his images he reflects on his countries past, while at the same time looking forward into the future and how life has changed. ‚History forms an important part of my work’, he explains, ‚especially in my own country where it’s just two decades ago that Apartheid was abolished.’ Sabelo focusses on a lot of subjects that have not been portrayed in his country nor the whole African continent yet, leading the pack.

LGBTI

Take one of his latest series for example: ‚Black Men in Dress’, a series of portraits shot at the Johannesburg and Soweto Pride. ‚This yearly event is a celebration for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and interest (LGBTI) community. Most communities have what we call ‚uSis’bhuti’, a term used to describe a boy who behaves like a girl. We all grew up knowing this, but never acknowledged it. So I asked myself questions like: Why then do we hate these boys when they have grown up to be men who dress as women? Why do we turn and call them names, pretending that we’ve never seen it? These are some of the issues I try to bring to the foreground in this series.’

Unnatural

Sabelo came up with the idea for ‚Black Men in Dress’ while shooting his preceding series ‚Limbali’, about reed dances in KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland. This being a traditional event where maidens bring reeds to rebuild the queens mother’s home and pay allegiance to her, it’s a rite of passage that forges commonality in a community. Although it’s perhaps better known as the king’s opportunity to choose a new wife. ‚I travelled through Africa looking at how weddings and the associated ceremonies are celebrated and wanted to aim that at the LGBTI community. It’s part of our community and we should not deny it being so. We tend to act like these people don’t exist, but they’re everywhere around us. The same goes for cross dressing; we see it, but don’t know how to react to it because it’s unnatural to us. That’s very interesting to me, because it engages the viewer and confronts them with a part of Africa that’s usually under lit.’

Collaboration

Photography is the perfect medium for Sabelo to explore these subjects, with which he started in 2003 with his series ‚Country Girls’. He researched what goes around behind the scenes of a rural community, focussing on gay life. ‚Back then gay couples weren’t allowed to get married officially, but in small towns and rural areas it already happened. I decided to follow these events and tried to capture the progress in their situation. That’s why this project took several years.’ The people he portrayed were not used to photographers to stay for a longer time; they usually just come and go. But for Sabelo it turned into a collaborations that allowed his to spend more time with them in Mpumalanga. And they could open up to him, also because he grew up in Driefontein and therefore is an insider to their community. ‚It’s a matter of trust, especially with these kind of subjects. You need to create a relationship.’

Migration

Although the areas he shot the series are rough and poor, Sabelo manages to show the glamour present in the form of drag queens, hairstylists and beauty pageant contestants, who are still often perceived as un-African or un-Christian Afterwards He released a book about his work in 2010, besides another book called ‚Men Only’ and a catalogue containing his series ‚At Home’ and ‚Ghost Towns’. For the first he focussed on rural areas where the breadwinners have migrated away in search of work, leaving behind only the young and old. The lather concentrates on small towns that have been abandoned due to immigration towards the country’s urban areas. ‚The kind of photographs that I make doesn’t belong to a drawer, but should be seen by a wider audience that appreciates a diverse view. It’s not mainstream and I don’t want to lead the viewer, but give them a chance to interpret my images in their own way.’

Invisible

As a photographer Sabelo admits to create his own truth, but that goes for all his colleagues as well. He tries to find answers to the questions he asked himself through his images. He tries to inform his viewers about a certain theme or subject that in his perspective needs to reach a broader audience, something he felt strongly when shooting ‚Invisible Woman’ back in 2007. A series in which history is very much present: ‚it’s about the fact that African woman weren’t allowed into the city during Apartheid, so you didn’t see them. Now, these woman are the ones cleaning the streets at night and when we wake up in the morning their gone. Again their are invisible, but now their are actually there, just not when others are around. They’re ghosts and I want to get people to wonder who they are with my photography.’

It’s something Sabelo very much like to do abroad – especially in Europe – in the future and bring his African photography style to other countries and continents. ‚But my approach to people and situations will always be the same: with integrity.’

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Posted in African photographers, This is Africa | Tagged African, Photography, Sabelo Mlangeni, South Africa | Leave a comment

Jorrit R Dijkstra

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‚My photographs don’t belong in a drawer’

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