A group of iRhini township artists recently launched a thrilling exhibition of rare photographs of township lifestyle and Xhosa tradition.
A group of iRhini township artists recently launched a thrilling exhibition of rare photographs of township lifestyle and Xhosa tradition.
The exhibition, entiled "My Xhosa", was held at Egazini Outreach Centre in Extension 6 and contains a fascinating series of photographs, accompanied by captions to place the images in context. The photos were taken in different times and places by different photographers, exploring who they are as a people. Each photo tells a story of an aspect of Xhosa culture and tradition such as how Xhosa people use to dress, the types of house they lived in and their rituals.
Nomathemba Kana (58) enjoys documenting the lives of the Xhosa people. Among the pictures she took was one of a woman working in the garden so that she can put food on the table for her family.
“I love taking pictures that takes me back to my roots. These days things have changed, we have adapted to the Western culture so much that we forget who we really are and where we come from,” she says. She points to one of her favorites, a photograph of a mud house. “This is where we use to live, but now, we’re so carried away by the brick houses.”
Luvuyo Pongolo (23) likes taking pictures of life in the township. He especially likes to take pictures of what youth get up to. If he was given a chance to write a book, he would call it, "The good and the bad of ‘kasi [township]life", he says.
Viller Booi, likes taking pictures of her community, the people she lives with and what takes place in the community.
The exhibition features Jenny Gordon who has introduced the photographers to this powerful and fruitful project to educate them and help them to make living out of it.
