The female gaze
A spotlight on SA’S five emerging female photographers of colour.
A spotlight on SA’S emerging female photographers of colour
Basetsana Maluleka When did you fall in love With photography?
I’ve always loved taking pictures with my phone, but I fell deeply in love with photography when I started running my blog back in 2016 when I was studying at the University of Johannesburg. That’s when I knew I wanted to be in the creative industry. I then started connecting myself with the right people and taking it a lot more seriously. That was the best decision I ever made.
What have been your career highlights so far?
The Afropunk group exhibition was the very first time I ever saw my work printed and put up on a wall to be publicly displayed. I recently joined the talent agency Lampost as a photographer’s assistant. Working there has always been one of my goals, and to see myself achieving it means the world to me.
how Would you describe your style?
I’ve always considered myself as a conceptual and emotional photographer. Most of my shoots have to do with social issues that are close to my heart. There’s a lot of planning that goes into all of them.
Who is your dream subject to shoot?
Nomzamo Mbatha, Solange Knowles and Oroma Elewa. These women inspire my craft and, most of all, they portray the kind of woman I want to become.
are there enough local female photographers of colour?
Absolutely not! The industry is still saturated with males.
What does ‘ powered by Women’ mean to you?
Re fihlile. We have arrived, and we’re taking all that’s rightfully ours. ➻
second year, I mustered up the courage to dropout. However, my heart longed to go back to photography – I guess I should have listened to the countless people telling me to stay put, as it was during those two years that I really fell in love with photography. It was my escape from the ups and downs of the degree I was in.
What have been your career highlights so far?
My career highlights are still under construction. I have yet to do something I can proudly call a highlight, but I’m probably just being hard on myself.
how Would you describe your style?
Dark, moody and sexual, yet highly creative. I’m trying to make my way to a more thought-provoking afritorial (African editorial).
What does ‘ powered by Women’ mean to you?
I can’t help but sigh a bit as I think, ‘ What have women not powered in our entire existence on this earth?’ It’s bittersweet, because we need to go well out of our way to do something we’ve been doing for years, but the fact that women everywhere now are becoming more and more in tune with each other, and the energy of the universe, is amazing.
“I’m drawn to the offbeat moments on set, I’m not interested in getting a perfect shot. Which is why I’m falling more in love with shooting on film and hand processing my own work.”
When did you fall in love With photography?
I’ve always enjoyed taking photographs since I was a child. But I think I only really fell in love with photography when I was much older. I happened to find myself wondering through a Vogue exhibition while living in Spain in 2016, and that’s when I really started seeing photography in a different light. When I came home, I got my hands on an entrylevel DSLR camera and started doing small test shoots with a close friend, Zipho Ntloko, who was studying makeup artistry at the time. It just kind of grew from there.
What have been your career highlights so far?
I can’t pick a specific highlight or shoot, but something that I’m really grateful for is the amazing women I’ve met and worked with. Whether we ended up forming longlasting friendships or just had an honest conversation on set, getting the chance to work with the likes of Tony Gum, Rharha Nembhard, Celeste Arendse and many other women who I admire, has been a definite highlight which has helped me grow in so many ways.
how Would you describe your style?
This is always a hard question because I don’t have an intentional style I go for, but I’m obsessed with muted tones. In terms of my composition and framing, my work is always clean and slightly leaning towards unconventional. I’m drawn to the offbeat moments on set, I’m not interested in getting a perfect shot. Which is why I’m falling more in love with shooting on film and hand processing my own work.
Who is your dream subject to shoot?
Anyone who is authentic.
are there enough local female photographers of colour?
There are definitely more than what we’re exposed to in mainstream media, but I don’t believe there can ever be enough or too many female voices telling their stories. ➻
“We’re not where we should be as a country, but I have hope that more of us will rise against these patriarchal and racial barriers.”
When did you fall in love With photography?
I’ve loved photography since childhood. When I was five, I would go through my mother’s photo albums and wish I were there with her in her teenage years. Film was so special back then because, after taking pictures, you would have to send the film roll back to a camera shop to be developed. The wait to receive the images filled me with so much excitement and anxiety. There is something spiritual about capturing a moment in time and being able to revisit it in the future through a photo.
What have been your career highlights so far?
I exhibited my work at the Alliance Francaise Gerard Sekoto Art Gallery last year in Joburg. It was a life-changing experience having my images put up and people talking about them. I’ve also assisted Trevor Stuurman on set when he shot the Axe deodorant campaign with DJ Black Coffee. I enjoy assisting on other photographer’s sets because I get to learn more about photography from people who have better equipment and are much more experienced.
how Would you describe your style?
I often alternate between fashion and conceptual photography. As a fashion design student, I’m mostly interested in capturing clothing. However, telling a story through clothing and photography is the most crucial part to the work. Right now I’m inspired by the beauty of vulnerability, femininity and softness. My aesthetic consists of bright colours, especially red, and I always aim to capture an intimate look and feel.
are there enough local female photographers of colour?
There are many, but not a lot are recognised or even have the access to spaces that can help them develop their skills. It’s difficult to break into a male-dominated industry when you’re still young and learning your craft. On the other hand, if there has ever been a time for female photographers of colour to claim their space, it’s now. Doors are being opened, and I’ve witnessed photographers like Neo Baepi make the most with their opportunities. We’re not where we should be as a country, but I have hope that more of us will rise against these patriarchal and racial barriers.
stories. It was then that I decided that I would like to pursue my passion for telling stories through art.
What have been your career highlights so far?
I definitely started my career with a bang. In 2017, I was awarded the Craft Gold Award at the Loeries for a photographic artist book I produced as an art student. Then, in May, came my second highlight: a billboard for Mcdonald’s 50th anniversary campaign with designer Gert-johan Coetzee.
how Would you describe your style?
I love colour, so my work is bold and conceptual with a fusion of digital art and photography in order to create unique images.
are there enough local female photographers of colour?
No, but there should be more. I know many male photographers of colour, so it would be great to have more females on board.
What does ‘powered by Women’ mean to you?
It’s the coming together of groups of dynamic women who support each other, who focus on growth that uplifts and encourage equal opportunity. It’s about creating an authentic voice that not only boasts creativity and passion, but the purpose to inform and inspire, too.