Biography

My photography intergrates documentary and fine art photography practices which is used  to explore and reflect on both the society  I grew up in and currently live in as well as on  my identity and personal perspective as a young Black man living in South Africa.

The series Alternative-kidz explores my community and conveys the notion that the Black youth are altering stereotyped township identity and philosophy by adapting various non-conventional influences into their township lifestyles. Interestingly, these choices or ideas of living complicates and, sometimes, are in conflict with the images, portrayals and meanings of ‘traditional’ and contemporary township and African identity.

My photography hopes to interpret the identity of this generation that is living in this particular juncture in South Africa, by scrutinising and reflecting the  flux of self-defined identities within cultural practises not generally associated with ‘township culture’ (such as jazz or kwaito music) but instead with alternative practises such as rock music. By portraying these sub-cultures in my township, I hope to give visibility to the social trends that are occurring within the black youth in townships, as well as dispelling stereotypes of ‘township culture’ that seem to only identify black youth with kwaito and rap. Like with generations before, rock music – associated with a certain rebellious white young crowd – has been taken up by black youth as a medium to voice their concerns and express themselves and this expression is only gaining recognition quite slowly.

My influences are photographers such as Larry Clark, Andrew Dosunmu, Ryan McGinley, Nadav Kander and Bryan Shcutmaat, and by some bodies of work by young photographers such as All I own bySannah Kvist and My generation is (in)different by Pier Cocc.

Please mail me if you would like to view my full CV