Lensman, fashion fundi makes waves
Stuurman’s photos celebrate the female form
After being censored by Instagram for posting photographs of bare-breasted women, Trevor Stuurman has dedicated a whole exhibition to celebrating women sans clothes.
The 24-year-old multimedia visual artist and entrepreneur from Kimberley, now based in Johannesburg, will share his work at the Hazard Gallery in his first solo exhibition.
Stuurman says the selection of images juxtaposes Amasokana (Ndebele initiates) and the OviHimba.
“It’s about how there is no uniformity between the female body and the male form. When you portray bare breasted women it’s seen in a sexual way, but with men it’s a sign of victory,” Stuurman says.
“It was also about exploring what home is. We are never at home ourselves. I mean I travel mostly to Namibia and KwaNdebele than go home to Kimberley.”
The idea was sparked last year after he took photographs of OviHimba women in Namibia which he shared on social media but were later removed for being ‘offensive’.
He went back to Swakopmund, this time with a different eye of documenting the OviHimba. He also darted to KwaNdebele to juxtapose the two cultures.
Making sense of his inspiration, Stuurman says his interest in the OviHimba was piqued by how similar they looked to Tswana women with their animal skin and leather traditional outfits.
“Seeing those women reminded me of home and my Tswana people. I got so inspired to create a space where black bodies could be celebrated,” he says.
“So I went back and captured these images, adding a new layer to my work.”
Stuurman won the Elle Style Reporter Search in 2012 and made the GQ Best Dressed list of 2015.
He was the on set photographer for the award winning feature film Ayanda.
He exhibited at Cape Town Art Fair this year and recently spoke at the Oxford Africa 2017 Conference in the UK.
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Home exhibition is at Hazard Gallery, The Cosmopolitan, 24 Albrecht Street, Maboneng Precinct, Johannesburg from tomorrow until September 24.