Category Archives: Politics of existence

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

Posted on July 27, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

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 19: Paris post cards from Cite Des Arts

Posted on July 19, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

Birthday self portraits by Zanele Muholi …@Cite Des Arts in Paris. In commemoration of my late mother, Bester Muholi who gave birth to me and endured the constraints of birthing.           more photos to be included … Continue reading →

Posted in Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Alternative career choices, Another Approach Is Possible, Beauty, Black, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Female Body, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Graduate, Black Queer Artists, Blessings, Body, Body Politics, Butch identifying lesbian, Claiming blackness, Clear with own plan, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Description, Gratitude to my lover, Happy birthday to me, I am not the only one, I love photography, I was here, In bed, Love, My body, No artificiality, On tripod, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Paris, Photo album, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Platform, Political Art, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Relationship with own body, Self love, Self portraits, Support, Visual Power, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Whiteness, Words, Zanele Muholi @ Cite Des Arts in Paris, Zulu is a South African language | 3 Comments

2014 July 13: ” Give children cameras not candies”

Posted on July 13, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

  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

Posted on July 13, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

  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 26: When photography is our religion

Posted on June 26, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

  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 June 23: The lovely couple on vacation in Cape Town

Posted on June 23, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

© Photos by Charmain Carrol 2014/06/07 – 09   Previous article 2014 June 10: The Ndlela’s are still committed to love          Their s2013 Wedding photos are on the link below 2013 June 15: The Durban Lesbian Wedding … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, From Durban to Cape Town, Holiday photos, Laughter, Lesbian couple, Life Stories, Love is a human right, Memory, Our lives in the picture, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Portrait, Support, Table Mountain, The Ndlela s, Togetherness, Visual history, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, VMCI members, We Love Photography, When Love is a Human Right, Women who have sex with Women, Women's power, Women's Work, Words, Writing is a Right, Ziningi & Delisile Ndlela, Zulu is a South African language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

2014 May 24: The special boy

Posted on May 25, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

by Collen Mfazwe   Growing up was never easy but it was kind of fun because I did not understand some of the things I was supposed to understand, e.g. why did I have to menstruate every month? Why did … Continue reading →

Posted in Butch identifying lesbian, Contests, Faces & Phases portraits, Fashion, Life Stories, Photography, Politics of existence, Power of the Voice, Queer Youth, Townships, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

2014 March 20: Black lesbian denied Schengen visa by German Embassy

Posted on March 25, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

      “For reasons unknown” Lungile Dladla, a South African lesbian, activist and participant in the world acclaimed Faces and Phases portraiture series by 2013 Prince Claus Laureate, Zanele Muholi, has been denied a visa to travel to Berlin, … Continue reading →

Posted in Allies, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Is A Human Right, Articles, As we are, Captioned, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Creativity, Lesbian Youth, LGBT rights activist, Life, Life Stories, Media works, Networking, Photography, Political Art, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Poverty, Pretoria, Race, Reflection, Relationships, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Visa application | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted on March 17, 2014 by inkanyiso2009

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