Category Archives: Visual Language

2015 June 7: For I love a Femme woman

I love and adore your femininity Take me I’m yours for Eternity The way you seduce me, the Intensity The way you sway those hips and rock those heels, the sexiness in it A love I can’t avoid its inevitable My … Continue reading

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2015 Feb. 10: “I love you my Mom”

by Thuli Mchunu Firstly, I would like to congratulate the team that made the Faces and Phases 2006-14 photobook come alive. When I laid my hands on the book my eyes were itching to read it, but unfortunately I was socializing with … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Book, Creating awareness, Expression, Faces and Phases (2006 - 2014) book review, Faces and Phases (2006-14), Facing You, Facts, Families, Families and Friends, Friends, Friendships, Knowledge, Layout, Learning, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Memories, Moments in our history, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photographs, Photography as a therapy, Power of the Voice, Queer visibility, Reviving the culture of reading and writing, revolution, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, South Africa, Teaching, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visualizing our lives, Voice, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, Words, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2015 Jan.15: Committed Union… 6 months later

by Vuyisile Shabalala Our journey as a committed couple planning our wedding has come into being. Being engaged to a person like Happy Mchunu makes it easy. She fulfils me and completes my entire existence. Compromises and understanding plays a huge … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Creating awareness, Durban, Expression, Lesbian, Power of the Voice, Queer visibility, Relationships, Relatives, revolution, South Africa, Speaking for ourselves, Strength, Struggling, Style, Supporting each other, Teachings, Texts, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thankful, Through thick and thin, together, Together we can, Touching, Townships, Understanding, Visibility, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual historical initiative, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing our lives, Visualizing public spaces, Visuals, Voice, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, Writing is a Right, Writing matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2015 Jan. 5: An ally shares her perspective

Book Review When I started reading the book I had already received a review from my cousin. At first it was hard not to look and read it using the glasses that she provided. My wish was to read it … Continue reading

Posted in 20 Years of Democracy in SA, 8 years, Academics, Act, Acting, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Article, Articles, Articulation, As we are, Author, Background, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Before You, Being, Being conscientized, Being heard, Black & White, Black bodies, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Love, Black lesbian visibility, Book, Book Review, Community education, Community outreach, Consideration, Education, Faces and Phases (2006-14), Freedom, Loved, Magnitude, Motshidisi Mabalane, Oppression, Previous links, Protecting, Published by Steidl, Reviewers, She, Speaking for ourselves, Statement, Success, Supporting each other, Texts, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Time, Timing, together, Together we can, Togetherness, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing our lives, Visualizing public spaces, Visuals, We Are You, We Care, We love each other, We love photographs, We Love Photography, Womyn, Words, Writing is a Right | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2015 Jan. 3: I dropped out of the closet many times

“It is a story about my coming out, its more significant than any part of my life history” Being who I am should not compromise who you are. The road to coming out was not easy. I was born in … Continue reading

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2014 Dec. 1: “The portraits are no longer just pictures”

Book Review by Rene Mathibe I have been fascinated with books ever since I learnt how to read. To be able to read and understand someone’s story is beautiful. Zanele Muholi launched her fourth book titled “Faces and Phases 2006-14” … Continue reading

Posted in Articulation, Artist Talk, Artists, Arts, Arts & Culture, As we are, Attention, Background, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comfort, Commitment, Committed, Daring, Eight years of photographing Faces and Phases, Frank, Gauteng, Gender articulation, Healing, Incredible, Inkanyiso media, Interviews, Introduction, Legacies of Existence, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Mission, Natalspruit, Platform, Representation, Self love, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, South African townships, South African Visual Activism, South African visual history through the eyes of young women, Stories, Touching, Visual activism, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual historical initiative, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, Visuals, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We love each other, We love photographs, We Love Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

2014 Oct. 29: Court Beat: Suspected lesbian killers remain behind bars

by Lerato Dumse Sthembiso Yende made her third appearance at the Tsakane Magistrates court on October 27, facing a charge of murder. The 20-year-old is accused of fatally stabbing Phumzile Nkosi (27) a lesbian mother of two boys. Sthembiso has … Continue reading

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2014 Oct. 21: SA Lesbian Feathers of the Year

  They are both South African lesbian icons. Most influential in different ways. Some of the commonalities between them is their sexuality and being born in South Africa during the ’70s. Bev from Soweto and Zanele in Umlazi township. About Bev … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Awards, Bev Ditsie, Black Lesbian Icons in South Africa, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Language, Learning, Lesbian Professionals, Life, Life lived, Life Stories, Living, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, Media works, Memories, Moments in herstory, Moments in our history, My life in short, Our lives in the picture, Owning our bodies, Participation, Perception, photographers, Photographs, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Proud lesbian, Proud to be, Publications, question of history., Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Relationships, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, SA Lesbian Feathers of the Year, Self love, Self portraits, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual orientation, Sexual Politics education in South Africa, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Social responsibility, South African politics, South African struggle, South African townships, Statement, Supporting each other, Survived, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Trust, videographers, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right | Leave a comment

2014 Oct. 22: Paris meets Aurora Young Female Photographers

by Thobe Gumede It is Tuesday, 21st Oct. 2014 in the afternoon at Aurora GHS where guest speakers come and share expertise with young photographers. The interaction started with a traditional icebreaker, a good meal, brought by the visitor for … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Paris Pride, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Articles, Articulation, Artist Talk, Arts & Culture, Arts & Sports, As we are, Attention, Audience, “Foot for Love", Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Before US, Before You, Being conscientized, Blackness, Captioned, Captured, Career, Caring citizens, Caring for our female youth, Celebrating Women, Celebration, Characters, Citizenship, Comment, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Community based media, Community education, Community outreach, Community work, Connected souls, Connections, Consideration, Creating awareness, Description, Details, Different positions, Documentary screening, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting our own lives, Documenting realities of the townships, Education, educator at Aurora Girls High School, Emotional support, Empowerment, Equipe Les Degommeuses, From Paris to Soweto, Introductions, Reviving the culture of reading and writing, revolution, Sharing, soccer player, Social responsibility, Solidarity, South Africa, South African townships, South African visual history through the eyes of young women, Speaking for ourselves, Support, Supporters, Supporting each other, Teaching young women photography, Testimonies from Aurora photographers, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thobe Gumede, Time, together, Together we can, Veronica Noseda, Videographer, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual democracy, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Women's power, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, Young female photographers from Aurora, Youth voices | 1 Comment

2014 Oct. 18: With Young Queer Youth Leaders in KwaThema

  Spent the day with young queer youth in KwaThema. Thanks to Lebo Mashifane for organizing the event.

Posted in 20 Years of Democracy in SA, Activists, Activists Act, After party, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Activism, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Articles, Beauty, Visibility, Visual activism, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here | Leave a comment