The photographic exhibition Strand by Strand by photography duo Kamogelo Machaba and Hazel Mpande is a demonstration of defiance and expression of self-love
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
Berman Contemporary in Johannesburg, from the time that it was based at its then Rand Steam home, before moving to its new home at 223 Arts Hub along Jan Smuts Avenue in Parktown North, the gallery has meticulously carved itself a niche within South Africa’s contemporary art scene by showcasing the skills and artistic flair of women artists.
The women artists that are regularly exhibited here are often young, experimental and daring in their art practice, tackling issues that are often not part of the mainstream visual art practice in the country. And so, the art that is regularly exhibited in this gallery’s spaces at 223 Jan Smuts Arts Hub, are edgy, and often deal with subjects that are provocative, inviting viewers to engage with the content in an intense way.
I have attended enough exhibitions at this gallery to see a trend that not only offers a new opportunity for exploring subjects often left out by mainstream art practice, but also to notice the young and daring crowd of contemporary South African artists that are not afraid to deal with difficult, and a lot of sometimes provocative subjects.
It is therefore against background that on Saturday, April 12, 2025, I honoured an invite by the arts hub to attend the opening of two exhibitions on the day, by young women artists exploring new and provocative ideas in South African contemporary society.
The two exhibitions that opened on the day is Strand by Strand, a photographic exploration of new ideas by the duo of Kamogelo Machaba and Hazel Mpande in the upstairs part of the expansive gallery space at 223 Jan Smuts, that constitutes Berman Contemporary and (e)mersion – Immersion | Emotion | Emerging
by Claire Lichtenstein featuring works by Belinda Ross.
This is personal and evocative exhibition, where Claire Lichtenstein’s abstract paintings explore the intersection of memory, emotion, and creative freedom. Drawing inspiration from the serene yet raw landscapes of Wilderness. Claire’s work reflects a journey of vulnerability, strength, and self-discovery. Through her brushstrokes, she invites you to experience the colors and stories beneath the surface of her past, offering a space for reflection and connection.
Belinda Ross’ process is deeply intertwined with reflection. She often turns to poetry and her sketchbooks, where fleeting thoughts occur. As she paints, the reference image fades away in significance and the emotive presence evolves. She focuses on the organic elements that is drawn to the abstraction process that intuitively commences.
On the other hand, Strand by Strand explores the politics surrounding Black women’s hair, the personal journey each Black woman undertakes with her hair, and the societal assumptions about what hair should or shouldn’t look like. It ultimately asks: what is Black hair, truly?
I had an opportunity to speak to Kamogelo and Hazel on the day.
“I use black and white photographs to express myself about my identity as a black person whose hair styles is always in question. I am the model in the pictures as this is very personal. These are therefore self-portraits,” Hazel said. Her journey as a photographer started about nine years ago when she completed the Immediate Course at the Market Photo Workshop in Newtown, she told CITYLIFE/ARTS. Her images are stunning in black and white, and you cannot fail her different hairstyles that show clearly black beauty and pride. It is as if the artist is rebelling against the stereotypical assertion by some that black hair is questionable as a marker of feminine beauty.
When my gaze fell on Kamogelo’s black and white images, also self-portraits, I immediately noticed a similarity between the hair accessories on her hair that I often see in the streets of Johannesburg worn by the young and daring trendy crowd of Johannesburg. She too is dealing with personal identity issues, issues she has always experienced when she was young growing up when some people question her hair as a black person.
She too seems to be rebelling against the idea strongly held by some in society that black hair should look and feel like something else, other than what it really easy-and that is to say authentically black, and beautiful. In full colour her images capture the glamour and beauty of black hair, whose fine details are accentuated by the colourful accessories.
“My hair as a black person have always been questioned as I grew up. Some people had certain ideas of how my hair should look and feel like,” she explained.
She told CITYLIFE/ARTS that she took a career detour from tourism to being a photographer after she graduated in tourism management. ”I am a mainly self-taught photographer. Besides doing a course on digital photography at NEMISA (National Electronic Media institute of South Africa) a lot of what I have learned is self-taught, she explained.
Viewing this exhibition, it becomes clear that not only have these two photographers achieved something stunning in self-representation, but what they are tackling here through these beautiful images is a demonstration of defiance and expression of self-love through this evocative photographic self-expression.
.Strand by Strand will be on show at 223 Jan Smuts Creative Hub from 12 April until 22 June.