Aku'ndhlela
engayi ekhaya

Tshepiso Mazibuko uses the medium of photography as a vessel to self-position herself and create links between the political, society, landscape and history. Mazibuko was first introduced to photography in high school through the Of Soul and Joy project initiated by Rubis Mecenat. She then went on to further her studies at the renowned Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg, in 2016 she completed her studies. The year 2017 she was the recipient of the Tierney Fellowship. working as an independent photographer she was then awarded the Prince Claus Fund Award grant 2018 for her project Between Spaces. Mazibuko has participated in numerous shows at many places such as the Ithuba Art Gallery in Johannesburg, The Market Photo Workshop, The Ghent photo-festival in Belgium, Gallery A MaGNIN’, The Turbine art fair, Paris Art fair, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Cite Des Artes, Warren Editions in Cape Town, the Art Africa fair in Cape Town as well as the Addis Foto Fest in Ethiopia. In 2021 she became one of the founding members of Umhlabathi collective. In 2024 she won the Louis Roederer Discovery Award Public prize and in the same year won the Prix De La Photo Madame Figaro Arles , for her work Ho tshepa ntshepedi ya bontshepe .

Simphiwe Fuwe Molefe is a documentary and narrative photographer based in Katlehong, South Africa. He joined the Of Soul and Joy photography programme in 2019, where he was introduced to photography as a tool for storytelling and social reflection. Molefe’s work has since been widely exhibited as he recently presented his project “Ungowakwethu wena” in a group exhibition at the JSE. In 2025, his photographs were featured in I Put My Hand on My Chest to Feel My Heartbeat at Constitution Hill, a milestone that led to coverage in the Mail & Guardian. In 2024, he exhibited at the Joburg FNB Art Fair. In 2023, he was named Global Citizen’s Emerging Creative of the Month, and he is also the recipient of the 17th Tierney Fellowship, one of South Africa’s most respected photography awards. His projects have appeared in numerous group exhibitions, including Through the Lens Collective (portrait exhibition), Uhambo at Umhlabathi Gallery, and in the Of Soul and Joy tenth- anniversary book, where his project Dikarabo was published alongside the work of nine other South African photographers. A graduate of the Market Photo Workshop’s Advanced Photography Programme, Molefe continues to build a distinct voice within contemporary South African photography, exploring themes of identity, community, and lived experience.

Phumelele Kunene is a visual artist, photographer, and creative director. With over a decade of experience in photography and visual storytelling, her practice sits at the intersection of art, culture, and narrative, shaped by a background in film, television, and digital media. She works primarily with analogue photographic processes to explore African ritual, memory, and material culture. Using the wet plate collodion process, a 19th-century technique — Kunene produces one-of-a-kind images on glass. Each work is made entirely by hand, requiring precision, timing, and presence, resulting in unique photographic objects that cannot be replicated. The process itself is slow and intentional, echoing the rhythms and structures of ritual. She is also the founder and Executive Creative Director of Still Imagery, a multidisciplinary creative studio through which she has developed campaigns, visual identities, and content strategies for a range of clients. Alongside her commercial work, Kunene has built an independent artistic practice that focuses on long-term cultural research and image-making. Her work has been exhibited through independent platforms, including a project exhibition with INCCA, where she presented In My Element, a body of work exploring selfhood and creative identity. She continues to expand her presence within the contemporary art space, developing new bodies of work that engage with African narratives and visual language. Kunene is currently focused on growing her analogue photography practice and establishing a darkroom-based creative hub in Johannesburg, aimed at supporting both artistic production and youth development. Her work reflects a broader vision of building sustainable creative ecosystems while contributing to the evolution of contemporary African visual culture

Hoek Swaratlhe born and based in Soweto, Johannesburg, is a South African photographer and visual artist whose practice explores community, urban culture, and the socio-political narratives that shape contemporary South Africa. A graduate of the Advanced Programme in Photography at the Market Photo Workshop (2018), his work reflects a deep engagement with everyday life in townships and the resilience embedded within them. Swaratlhe has exhibited widely, including at David Krut Projects, RMB Latitudes Art Fair, KZNSA Gallery, and the Market Photo Workshop. In 2024, he won 1st Prize in the Umsizi Nopende Award, recognising his distinctive visual voice. His practice often merges photography with printmaking processes such as monotype, silkscreen, and lithography to transform his images into tactile reflections on memory, place, and identity. He is currently part of Occupying the Gallery, a mentorship and residency initiative under the guidance of Lawrence Lemaoana and Mary Sibande.