The intimate and inviting: Photographs by seven female photographers on show at Umhlabathi, defy stereotyping of township life
What makes Ho Bona Ke Ho Rwala such a refreshing exhibition is how each of the photographers chose to photograph not only what was familiar but also, what is, misunderstood.
Main Picture: Curator and Photographer, Tshepiso Mazibuko
By Tonderai Chiyindiko
The exhibition Ho Bona Ke Ho Rwala featuring works by seven black female photographers, namely Naledi Mkupa, Zegugu Ngemntu, Lebohang Tlhako, Nonzunzo Gxekwa, Phumelele Kunene, Simphiwe Thabede and Tshepiso Mazibuko opened at Umhlabathi in Newtown over the weekend.
Curated by multi-award-winning photographer Tshepiso Mazibuko, whose images also feature in the exhibition, the selected works on show are both intimate yet inviting, bold and unapologetic in their insistence on not showing tired stereotypes of township life, which in most of the photographs forms not just the backdrop, but also the quiet vibrancy of life in these spaces.
The photographs on display depict subjects engaged in seemingly mundane daily activities, from a mother preparing her son for school, children playing on top of a broken down car, women dressed in church regalia and even a young woman getting her hair plaited in one of the street salons found in the Johannesburg CBD.
The power of the images the exhibition lies in the dignity afforded to the lives of those photographed, the respectful negotiation that takes place between subject and photographer, and the resulting image which shows the viewer much more than what is depicted within each of the photographs.
What makes Ho Bona Ke Ho Rwala such a refreshing exhibition is how each of the photographers chose to photograph not only what was familiar but also what is misunderstood, and when one looks on the faces of the subjects there is a certain calmness and ease, something which does not happen on its own but rather from respectful engagement with the subjects prior to a camera being brought out and clicked to capture an image.
Spaces like Umlabathi are indeed important as they give access to black artists, photographers and creatives to professional infrastructure so they can develop and display their work. It is fitting that an exhibition like Ho Bona Ke Ho Rwala has found its expression on the walls of this gallery space, and one hopes that the powers that be find means to have many more such spaces exist so that the audiences are able to come and witness works of this nature in spaces which are welcoming and accessible such as Umhlabathi.
.Ho Bona Ke Ho Rwalais showing at Umhlabathi until 31 August 2026.