South African photographer Sabelo Mlangeni has been awarded the James Barnor prize, an annual award recognizing artists from different regions of Africa. His images arise from deep immersion in queer and rural communities, capturing what he calls the 'soul of the community.'
Photographer's Background
Mlangeni describes the role of a 'cameraman' in South Africa as more than an observer—they are embedded in local life, present at every community event. He was introduced to photography in 1997 through the reconstruction of a wedding image, his first ever photograph.
Series 'Isivumelwano'
The Nguni word 'isivumelwano' represents a contract, agreement, or alliance. In Mlangeni's context, it is a cause for celebration and critique of relationships. Writer Emmanuel Balogun notes that Mlangeni's work magnifies 'the systems we exist in (and against).' The series captures unions in churches, community halls, wild grasslands, and shadows, upending inherited notions of the white wedding and highlighting subversive sexual orientations and gender-based roles.
Queer and Rural Communities
Mlangeni visited queer and rural communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, aiming to capture 'umoya'—the isiZulu and Bantu expression for the spirit and essence of a person. Curator Francesca de' Medici says Mlangeni's commitment is deep-rooted, driven by a passionate interest in chosen community and queer rural everyday life. He shares the quotidian with the 'invisible'—queer and discriminated communities—spending weeks or months with them.
Series 'Umlindelo wamaKholwa'
This series explores the spiritual identity of those in two Zionist churches in Johannesburg and Driefontein. Unrelated to Jewish Zionism, this 20th-century protestant faith-healing movement is South Africa's largest popular religious movement. Mlangeni, himself part of the Zionist church, spent many years in its congregation, allowing him to capture authentic moments. The title refers to a night-prayer vigil where the community waits together, forging community through shared experience.
Impact and Recognition
Mlangeni works largely in black and white, building his practice around intimate photographs that draw out inherent beauty in the ordinary. The James Barnor prize winner was announced at Arles. His work offers a delicate definition of love, with a nod to subversive sexual orientations and the precariousness of gender-based roles, celebrating the beauty and joys of communities as much as their challenges.
