Thembinkosi Hlatshwayo’s ‘I feel like ice cream’
This selection of images comes from iHubo: Nkosi Sikelela, an exhibition of new work by Jabulani Dhlamini and Thembinkosi Hlatshwayo, on at the Goodman Gallery, Cape Town.
Their photos converge on themes relating to collective trauma and generational memory in South Africa.
iHubo: Nkosi Sikelela features work that forms part of an ongoing collaborative project between the duo in which they explore the relationship between collective memory and private reflections within the context of apartheid and the production of post-apartheid identities.
The work combines Dhlamini’s contemplative approach to documentary photography with Hlatshwayo’s conceptual approach to exploring violence and trauma.
Jabulani Dhlamini’s ‘I Skhumbuzo
As a starting point, Dhlamini went back to the site of his childhood in the rural Free State in an effort to capture the landscape for its rich psychological associations.
Hlatshwayo’s return involved visiting his family’s tavern where he transformed memories of violence into ghosts embedded in the walls. These spectral traces are entrenched in the images through tactile interventions in his image-making process.
This haunting body of work has been created through a process of mutual exchange, with both photographers contributing conceptually to the creation of each image. They shared their thoughts and images to unpack their ideas of home.
Phela Ndaba Cemetery, Sharpeville
iHubo: Nkosi Sikelela is on view at Goodman Gallery in Cape Town until 5 August.
Mzala’ by Hlatshwayo and Dhlamini’s image ‘Ma-Shabalala, eNkuthu, Ladysmith’, which will be on exhibition at the Goodman Gallery, in Cape Town, until 5 August.