Hulisani Ravele to celebrate 30th birthday with 30 portraits

The 23rd of January 2018 marks Hulisani Ravele’s 30th birthday! And the seasoned TV host and radio presenter is celebrating it in a special way.

With a one-of-a-kind project titled 30 Portraits & Poetry, Ravele will be releasing a series of 30 portraits reflecting emotions of what 30 years of life experience has brought with it and built in her. Each portrait will be narrated with poetry written by talented writer Sizakele Phohleli, in a collection she has coined ‘Blues for Hulisani’.

Sizakele says: “Hulisani has been one of my muses for as long as I can remember. I would never miss a chance to write a woman into a song that she is, a chance to remind her of who she is, why she is here, and who she is still meant to be. In reminding her, I remind myself of those very things.”

Speaking on the inspiration for the project, Hulisani says: “30 is a big milestone and I wanted to celebrate it in a unique way. I came up with the idea of 30 Portraits & Poetry as a way to pay homage to my own personal journey. Deciding to share it with the world was a big decision because it opens me up to a lot of judgement and scrutiny, but, as an individual who is intent on living her purpose and using its power to positively impact the lives of others, I felt it was a project that I had to share.”

Powerless. Picture: Supplied

“Bringing it to life was both exciting and nerve-wrecking. I started off by writing a list of 30 emotions I felt my life journey has brought with it so far. That meant stripping myself bare and being vulnerable and comfortable with listing the bad or negative emotions alongside the good, happy ones,” Ravele shares.

Next, the list was shared with the creative team which consisted of Letshego and Tshego Sebolao who both played the role of Creative Directors (alongside Hulisani), as well as Wardrobe & Styling and Make-up respectively. Behind the lens, the talented Tsholo Mothibi was entrusted with capturing powerful images which would bring the story of Hulisani Ravele’s journey to life.

In what some might term a bold step, Ravele has made the decision to release the images untouched, unedited. “I think it’s a powerful statement to say that being famous does not mean that I am perfect nor do I have to be. I accept and love myself; freckles, flaws, scars, stretch marks, and all; and I hope that those seeing the images are inspired to feel the same about themselves too. I had a terrible break-out on my face leading up to and on the day of the shoot, and that’s exactly how we are going to release the images, as they are,” she says.

Laughter. Picture: Supplied

30 Portraits & Poetry will be released as a series of posts on Ravele’s Instagram platform only, @hulisaniravele, from the 24th of January, the day after her birthday.

Ravele says: “2018 is a big year for me. Not only do I turn 30 but this year also marks my 21st year in the industry. I am looking forward to sharing this special project with those who have followed and supported my career for the past 21 years. I truly hope that this honest introspection and the portrayal of it inspires others to not only do the same but be accepting of the results of that introspection.

“We are all just doing the best we can at this life thing. It will come with its ups and downs, its mistakes, its trials and triumphs, but for as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, it will be YOUR story to tell. And it will be beautiful.”

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