Category Archives: Being seen

2019 June 9: Creating and sharing art knowledge in the Eastern Cape.

Text by Aluncedo Cetywayo Images: by Aluncedo Cetywayo and Charmain Carrol Wednesday 29 May afternoon in Johannesburg, from Parktown to Park Station with heavy baggage filled with donations for BNM art centre founded by Charmain Carrol based in Ngqwarha, Mount … Continue reading

Posted in "Free from My Happiness", 2012 ReFiguring Women, 2014 Photo XP, 25 Years of Democracy, Acceptance, Activists, Alternative family, Articulation, Being seen, Birth, Black lesbian stories, Black lesbians in remote areas in South Africa, Black Queer Born Frees, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Black Queer Born Frees in South Africa, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Dreams do come true

Text by Siba Nkumbi Photos by Sisa Ntshwaqela & Siba Nkumbi “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” – Buddha Education … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Accountability, Achieve, Art, Article by Siba Nkumbi, Articulation, Beauty, Being conscientized, Being heard, being recognized, being respected., Being seen, KaosPilots, Switzerland, Training, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2016 Feb. 4: Intwaso yase Market Photo Workshop

by Sicka ‘Shaz’ Mthunzi   I grew each day and everyday and I’m growing through transitioning in different art forms. Viewing the world through the ‘EYE’ is a very interesting and very ‘eye opening’ to how the world functions. The … Continue reading

Posted in 'Sicka' Sharon Mthunzi, Activists Act, Being conscientized, being respected., Being seen, Black Lesbian musician, Black lesbian sangoma, Black lesbian visibility, Brave, Chance, Change, Claiming mainstream spaces, Dedicated, Dedication, Market Photo Workshop, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2015 Nov. 25: The best ‘black’ exhibition of the season

Photo album by Lebo Mashifane                                                 Read and view photos from Somnyama Ngonyama series, currently showing at … Continue reading

Posted in 2015 Nov. 19 - 2016 Jan. 29, A new visual history, Activists Act, Alternative family, Another Approach Is Possible, Appreciation, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Baring, Beauty, Beauty queens, Before US, Before You, Being conscientized, being recognized, being respected., Being seen, Best attendance, Black, Black bodies, Black Body as a Material, Black Female Body, Black Queer & Gifted, Blackness, Brave Beauties, Butch identity, by Lebo Mashifane, Celebrating my mother, Characters, Claiming blackness, Collaborations, Collectivism, Confidence, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Exhibition, Existence, Exploration, Expression, Feelings, Freedom, Gendered photographs, Gratitude, Health, Human Beings, Individuals, Inkanyiso crew, Johannesburg, LGBTI community, Named, Opening, Own body for Art, Photos, Politics, Race, Somnyama Ngonyama, South African visual history, Stevenson gallery, Support, Visual activism, Visual Activist, We Love Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2015 Feb. 13: From Johannesburg to Oslo

Photo Album by Nontuthuzelo Mduba, Themba Vilakazi and Zanele Muholi   2015 Feb. 10:  Shaz aka “Sicka Starban” Mthunzi was lucky enough to be accompanied by her family to the airport. Her mother is standing on the far left (wearing … Continue reading

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2014 Dec. 21: Sealing the union of love

by Lerato Dumse  A generous dose of ululating, praise and tears of joy was dished out, during a two-part engagement ceremony at Victory Ministries Church International (VMCI). The last leg of Bathini Dambuza and Portia Dludlu’s engagement announcement (known as … Continue reading

Posted in "Till death do us apart", 20 Years of Democracy, a black lesbian, A new visual history, Acceptance, Act, Acting, Activated queer spaces, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Affair, Africa, African, African Queer Beauty, Allies, Alternative family, an LGBTI organisation, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Solidarity, Articulation, As we are, Attention, Background, Bathini from Faces and Phases, Beautiful, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Beauty, Before You, Being, Being conscientized, Being seen, Black, Black Butches and Femmes, Black lesbian beauty, Black Lesbian Congregants, Black Lesbian Icons in South Africa, Black lesbian mothers, Black lesbian visibility, Black lesbian weddings, Black Queer & Gifted, Blackness, Blessings, Bodies and histories, Bonding, Brave, Bringing photography to the community, Cameras, Church elders, Commitment, Elegance, Engaged, Family, Learn, Lerato Dumse, Live, Love, Neatness, Sealing the union of love, Smart, Texts, VMCI - Durban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

2014 Dec. 14: The kiss that moved the church

© Photo by Charmain Carrol @ VMCI – Johannesburg Camera used:  Canon 60D with 75-300 mm lens   What: Bathini Dambuza & Portia Dludlu’s engagement ceremony Union blessed by Pastor Mazibuko       “I always prayed to get married … Continue reading

Posted in Allies, Alternative career choices, Alternative family, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Apology, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Articles, Articulation, Attention, Audience, Background, Beautiful, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Being seen, Black Bodies of Silence, Black lesbian beauty, Black Lesbian Icons in South Africa, Blackness, Blessings, Bodies, Bodies and histories, Body, Bonding, Brave, Bringing photography to the community, Captioned, Captured, Caring citizens, Categories, Celebrating Women, Celebration, Challenges of black lesbian youth, Characters, Choice, Citizenship, Civil Union, Claiming, Collaborations, Collective, Comfort, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting our own lives, Documenting realities of the townships, Dress code, Dress sense, Embodies, Emotional support, Empowerment, Encounter, Endurance, English, Entertainment, Evidence, Excitement, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Eyes, Face, Facilitation, Facing You, Facts, Families and Friends, Family, Family and Friends, Fashion, Featuring, Feelings, Female being, Frank, Freedom, Friends, Friendships, Function, I use CANON, I was (T)here, Identity, Perception, SA Constitution, SA LGBTI experts, Self love, Self recognition, Sexual Liberation, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Silence, Silent voices, Social responsibility, Society, South Africa, South African Black Female Photographers, South African lesbians, South African politics, South African struggle, South African traditions, South African Visible Arts, South African visual history through the eyes of young women, Space, Speaking for ourselves, Special event, Statement, Subject of Art, Support is the system, Supporting each other, Survived, Teaching young women photography, Tears, Terrified, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thankful, Thoughts, Time, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We love each other, We love photographs, We Love Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

2014 Dec. 5: When black is so strong

… work in progress. Zanele Muholi working with Valerie Thomas. Where:  Belleville, Paris. When:  Dec. 2014 What:  Having conversations with inner self allowing to be seen without shame Why:  Because ‘races matters’ sometimes and gender is really ‘complex’ Period:  365 … Continue reading

Posted in Being seen, Between the neck, Body, Born by African parents, Coming of Age, Culture, Facial features, Gestures, Hair, Ihlombe, Naked, Portraits of the Self, Reflections, Relationship, Relationship with own body, relative, Remembering, revolution, Ritualistic, Robing, Self discovery, Self mutilation, Self recognition, Self-worth, Style, Subject of Art, Topless, Zulu, Zulu tradition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 Nov. 25: Faces and phases-embodying the freedom of being

Book Review by Glenda Tambu Muzenda Faces and Phases (2006 – 2014) showcases resistance and courage from all corners of the country. From South Africa trailing into Canada, United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the threat of erasing sexualities of black … Continue reading

Posted in 8 years, Activated queer spaces, Activists, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Article, Articles, Articulation, Arts, Arts & Culture, As we are, Attention, Audience, Being seen, Black Lesbians, Bodies and histories, Book launches, Book Review, by Glenda Tambu Muzenda, Celebration, Citizenship, courage, Democratic, Divergence, Diversity, Embodies, Encounter, Exposure, Expression, Faces and Phases (2006 - 2014), Facts, Focus, Freedom, Friendships, Gender expression, Imagined, Imbrication, Immoral, Issues of sexuality, Key issues, Livelihood, Lives of black lesbiansa, Living, Lovers, Making a mark, Moments, Mothers, Photography, Political space, Powerful, Professionals, Re-presentation, Reality, resistance, Scholarly approach, Sexual minorities, Sisters, Society, South Africa, Time, Transformation, Transgenderism, Understanding, Visual history, Women who love women, Zanele Muholi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments