Category Archives: Photo Expressions

2014 Aug.1: InterGenerational conversation with current and future stars

by Lerato Dumse Seizing opportunities was the central message shared with more than 15 teenage girls at Aurora Girls High School, in Soweto on 1st August 2014. The girls are part of the Siyafundisana Photo XP, a photography training project founded … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articulation, Artist Talk, As we are, Aurora Girls High School, Before You, Documenting our own lives, Elisa Pica, Future, Group photo, Group photo with the stars, Honors degree, Lerato Dumse, Lindeka Qampi, Mbali Vilakazi, Mfundi Vundla of Generations, Nonkululeko Britton-Masekela, Our lives in the picture, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Phumla Masuku, Politics of existence, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Professionals, Proud to be, Public spaces, Queer Beauty Pageants in the townships, Queer Power, Queer visibility, question of history., Questions & Answers, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Soapie, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thobza Zwane, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Transcription, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual Activist in the classroom, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, When Love is a Human Right, Women's Arts In South Africa (WAISA), Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Years, Young black female photographers, Young Black Women and Photography, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 8 Comments

2014 July 28: Memories never fade away – ‘Foot for Love’

My reflection on our 2012 Paris trip that we, Thokozani Football Club (TFC) had. It all started at the Thokozani football club that I joined voluntarily in 2008, hence I’m proud of myself for making such a good decision. Firstly … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Africans Abroad, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Articles, Artist Talk, Arts & Sports, ARV's, Beautiful faces, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Being Scene, Black Lesbian soccer players, Durban, Eiffel Tower, Equipe Les Degommeuses, Evidence, Experience, Fitness, Gratitude, In memory of Thokozani Qwabe, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Insulted, Intellectualism, Interviews, Know Your SA Queer History, Language, Laurence Prat, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Lesbianism, Lesbiennes of Color (LOCs), Lessons learnt, Liberation, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Loved, Lovely words, Mainstream media, Media works, Memories, Memory, Moments in our history, Mourning, My body, Networking, Organizations, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Paris Pride, Parisians, Participants, Participation, Performance, Photo Expressions, Photographs, Political Art, Politics, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Education in SA, Queer visibility, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Reflection, Reflections, Relationship with own body, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Safety, Safety and Health, Self discovery, Self portraits, Self-worth, Sexual Liberation, Sexual orientation, Sexual Politics education in South Africa, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Silent voices, Soccer is a human right, Social documentary photography, Social responsibility, Socio-economic, South Africa, South African Black Lesbian Filmmakers, South African Visual Activism, Speaking for ourselves, Sport Activism, Supporting each other, Teaching young women photography, Team Spirit by Thembela Dick, textbooks, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thokozani Football Club, Together we can, Togetherness, Video archiving, Visibility, Visual activism is a language, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual Language, Visual Power, We Are You, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Woman, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Xhosa is a South African language, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 2 Comments

2014 July 26: “I was born this way and I cannot change the skin that I live in”

My name is Refilwe Pitso but am popularly known as ‘Fifi’. I was born and raised in Daveyton, Benoni in Johannesburg. I was born on the 27th of December 1991 and I was raised by my mother. She is a … Continue reading

Posted in 1991 -, 2nd Prince, Ackermans, Articles, Beauty, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian beauty, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Born Frees, Characters, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Competition, Contestants, Contests, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Daveyton, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting realities of the townships, Edited, Family, Family support, Feelings, Female masculinity, Gender naming, Hobbies, Hope, Human Beings, I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I use CANON, I was (T)here, Identity, Lack of Resources, Lack of sponsorship, Lesbian Youth, LGBTI community, Life, Living by example, Loved, Matric, Memories, Moments in herstory, Mr Valentine, Our lives in the picture, Owning our bodies, Pageant, Participants, Participation, Perception, Photo Expressions, Politics of existence, Portrait, Possessed, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Previous life stories, Privilege, Proud lesbian, Proud to be, Queer Beauty Pageants in the townships, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Refilwe in Faces and Phases series, Refilwe Pitso the winner, Safety, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Shop assistant, Single parent, South Africa, South African Artists, Team Dress Fresh, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Tomboy, Visual history, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Woman, Women loving women, Women's power, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi | 5 Comments

2014 July 13: ” Give children cameras not candies”

  School portraits from Aurora Girls High School, through the eyes of photography learners.     2014 April 16 our participants, Sindi and Nhlanhla playing with the background we used for students’ portraits.   a fellow student peeping out after … Continue reading

Posted in Aurora Girls High School, Beautiful faces, Education, Exhibition, Facilitators, Give children cameras not candies, Human rights, Intellectualism, Interpretation, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, LGBT community, Linda Mankazana, Lindeka Qampi, Photo album, Photo assignments, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Public spaces, Publications, School portraits, Soweto, Teaching young women photography, Townships, Transcription, Transparency, Valerie Thomas, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Love Photography, We were (t)here, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a South African language | 11 Comments

2014 July 12: From Soweto to Paris for the love of photography

  Teaching photography to young women at Aurora Girls High school with my 3 collaborators/ facilitators: Lindeka Qampi (SA photographer and activist), Linda Mankazana (SA educator and activist) and Valerie Thomas (French physician and activist). We started the visual project … Continue reading

Posted in About PhotoXP, Aurora Girls High School, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Community work, Conference, Connected souls, Connections, Cultural activists, Emotional support, Empowerment, Exhibition, Freedom of being, French is a language, Guest speakers, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Invisibility, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Lack of sponsorship, Language, Lessons learnt, Life Stories, Lindeka Qampi, Love, Love is a human right, Mainstream media, Media works, Memory, Open relationships, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photography as a therapy, Political Art, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Professionals, Proud lesbian, Publication, Queer & Straights, Queer Power, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Response, Social responsibility, South African struggle, South African townships, South African Visual Activism, Soweto, Speaking for ourselves, Students, Subject of Art, Support, Supported by French Institut - Johannesburg/ Paris, Supporting each other, Uncategorized, Valerie Thomas on 2014 Photo XP, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, young women, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zulu is a South African language | 18 Comments

2014 June 25: I consider myself beautiful not handsome…

    My name is Mamello but am also known as Meme Motaung. Mamello is a South Sotho name meaning perseverance. I was named Mamello by my grandmother and I do not know the reasons behind my name. I am a young proud black lesbian and I … Continue reading

Posted in Our lives in the picture, Participants, Participation, Photo Expressions, Photographs, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Words, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

2014 June 26: When photography is our religion

  All Photos by Lerato Maduna © 27/11/2012 What:  Faces and Phases exhibition opening When:  2 Years ago (27th November 2012) Where:  Goethe-Institut Südafrika, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood. Johannesburg.    Where are they now?   Ayanda Moremi got married to … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Adoring, African Queer Beauty, AlJazeera, Allies, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism in South Africa, As we are, Beauty queens, Before You, Black & White, Black Butches and Femmes, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Artists, Black Lesbian Congregants, Black Lesbian Dancers in South Africa, Black Lesbian Men, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Body, Butch identifying lesbian, Celebrating Youth Month in SA, Characters, Church is not the closet, Commemorating the queer youth we lost along the way, Communication strategies, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creativity, Details, Different positions, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Dyke, Education, Empowerment, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Exhibition opening, Experience, Exposure, Faces & Phases portraits, Freedom of being, Gender activist, Gender distinction, Gender expression, Gender naming, Gratitude, Joy, katharina.von-ruckteschell-katte, Laughter, Lien Heidenreich-Seleme, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Matters of the He(Art), Moments in herstory, Networking, Open relationships, Opening remarks, Photo album, Photo Expressions, Photography, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Proud lesbian, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer community, Queer Education in SA, Queer Edutainment, Queer texts, Queer visibility, Questions & Answers, Sharing knowledge, Speaking for ourselves, Special event, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi is the winner, Zulu is a South African language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 May 18: Glitter, drama & perfection at Miss Gay Jozi 2014

Texts by Yaya Mavundla Photos by Smanga Shange   I usually sit front row at Fashion Week, mingle with the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry at A-list events and I found myself at Miss Gay Jozi held at … Continue reading

Posted in As we are, Dancing, Description, Friendships, Human Beings, Human rights, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Interpretation, Intervention, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Living by example, Love, magazine, MissTee Menu, Our lives in the picture, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Queer Edutainment, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Real, Recognition, Records and histories, Self-worth, Sharing knowledge, Smanga Shange, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

2014 May 2: Photo of the night

Inkanyiso member on the left meeting our stars… Where: Joburg Theatre When: Sat. 2nd May 2014 Featuring who: L-R: Smanga Shange and a friend, Lebo Mashile and Pamella Nomvete. Photo by Zanele Muholi      

Posted in Activism, Activists Act, Artists, As we are, Creative Writing, Creativity, I can't do it ALONE, I was (T)here, Identity, Life Stories, Love, Love is a human right, Memory, Moments in herstory, Ndiyadansa actors, Our lives in the picture, Peace, Photo Expressions, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Recognition, Reflection, Relationships, South Africa, Together we can, Visual Power, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We were (t)here, Women's power, Zanele Muholi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2014 March 8: Photos from Brown Bois Retreat in Oakland, CALIFORNIA

Photos by Zanele Muholi Where: Oakland, CA With:  Valerie Thomas and Selaelo ‘Sly’ Mannya What: Brown Bois Retreat Link to: Brown Boi Project Topic: How to increase Personal Communication Skills chaired by Mervyn Marcano   My Masculinity Is…   Name Quote … Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Activists Act, Communication strategies, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Cultural activists, Culture, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, English, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Feelings, Female Photographers, Freedom of being, Friendships, Gender expression, History, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Networking, Our lives in the picture, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Power in our hair, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readings, Recognition, Records and histories, Reflection, Relationships, Respect & Recognition from our community, Sharing knowledge, Society, Socio-economic, Speaking for ourselves, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Transgender visibility, Transgender Voices, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Women's power, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments