Capturing the past to move forward
USING his lens to zoom in on the pain of the past as a learning curve for the future, Jabulani Dhlamini’s exhibition iXesha!, which brings together several bodies of work exploring ideas around collective memory in the South African context, kicks off at the Goodman Gallery today.
It features images from his most recent series, iQhawekazi (2018), in which the artist captured the atmosphere surrounding the death of Struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, turning his camera towards symbolic expressions of mourning and memory, such as the informal street memorials that coalesced around her official memorial in Soweto.
Also on display is work from his series Recaptured (2016), which looks at the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, exploring the interaction between personal and collective memory.
From 2013 to 2016, Dhlamini, 35, spent time with South Africans who experienced the trauma of the massacre, seeking to create a visual representation of social memory by photographing objects which triggered individual recollections of that day.
For Dhlamini, iXesha! represents an important moment, “bringing together various bodies of work that document the present in different contexts, as I lay down a foundation for navigating the future”.
“I look at history and how it is affecting our future. I go back and reflect on it.
“I am more interested in getting lessons from life. Understanding our past is the best way for us to move forward.”
The idea for the Sharpeville project came about while Dhlamini was studying.
“I went to Sharpeville, and many people who were eyewitnesses
‘I look at history and reflect. I am interested in getting lessons from life’
at the time of the massacre wanted to share their stories when they saw the camera. That’s when I realised some were not given a chance to tell their stories.
“So after graduation I went back to Sharpeville.”
Dhlamini was born in the Free State and grew up in Soweto. He obtained a National Diploma: Photography from the Vaal University of Technology in 2010, and held his first solo exhibition at the Market Photo Workshop Gallery in Joburg in 2012.
During a residency on Reunion Island, he was inspired by the story of the slaves.
He is working on a project capturing their story of segregation, and how integrated their society is now.
Raised by a single mother, Dhlamini is also working on a series called Ubaba (father) to understand what caused his father’s absence.
“It is easy to put the blame on him, but at the time there was the migrant labour law.
“That was how my parents lost their connection. I am looking at the effect that law had on our community,” he said.
iXesha! will be at the Goodman Gallery Cape Town from today until August 25.