Former Of Soul and Joy (OSJ) student Vuyo Mabheka (24) from Thokoza is among 15 artists who have been selected to showcase their work at the Salon Approche Art Fair (SAAF) in Paris, between November 9 and 12.
Images from Mabheka’s ongoing Popihuise series will be presented as part of a solo presentation with Afronova Gallery (AG).
The series was recently awarded the Images Vevey 2023/2024 special jury prize.
The SAAF, established in 2017, is unique in its curated approach to showcasing artists who experiment with and appropriate the medium of photography.
These works are all exhibited strictly as solo presentations, another distinct feature of the fair.
Mabheka was born in 1999 in Libode, Eastern Cape, he later moved to Thokoza.
In 2017, he discovered photography through the OSJ project and earlier this year joined AG as a represented artist.
He said this is not the first time his work has been presented internationally, as he presented his work in France in 2020.
“It is a great opportunity, however, I will not be there to see how people react to the work because it will be online, but it feels amazing,” said Mabheka.
Popihuise series is a Xhosa vernacular version of the Afrikaans word for doll’s house. For the series he used collaged still images to create a contrast between his childhood memories and the toys he would play with to diffuse his often difficult lived reality.
Creating a unique series of artwork and installations inspired by this environment, Mabheka uses cut-out pictures from his childhood, drawings, and photo collage, as a reference to ‘Umkokotelo’, which is a slang term for reinvented structures.
OSJ project manager and mentor Jabulani Dhlamini said Vuyo’s work bears witness to the complex experience of his childhood, and how this came to form his identity in relation to his social and family context.
“As someone who grew up with an absent father while living with a working mother, Vuyo’s images powerfully convey the effects of solitude on his creativity,” said Dhlamini.
His work has participated in the group exhibitions. These includes his project titled In Thokoza: Place of Peace which was presented at Stop Sign Gallery, Johannesburg in 2019.
Another project is titled Inganekwane at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg in 2021 and NWU Gallery at Potchefstroom in 2022.
Background about OSJ
OSJ was initiated by Rubis Mécénat and Easigas in the heart of Thokoza. It aims to provide the township’s youth and its surroundings with professional skills in the field of photography.
As a creative platform, OSJ offers weekly workshops led by renowned photographers, encounters with art professionals, collaborations with cultural institutions and organizes art events in Africa and abroad.
In over 10 years of existence, the programme has helped reveal young photographers who are now making a living from their work and building an international career.
Their work is exhibited in numerous festivals and fairs including Bamako Encounters, Addis Foto Fest, PhotoSaintGermain, Paris Photo and Cape Town Art Fair among others.
They were awarded prestigious prizes like the CAP Prize and Prince Claus Fund among others, represented by agencies and galleries like Magnum Photos and Afronova.
