Johannesburg, South Africa – Afronova Gallery, a globally affiliated gallery known for promoting the emergence of new vernacular art forms from the most urban and contemporary environments in Africa, is now representing Vuyo Mabheka, the second Of Soul and Joy student to join the gallery. Mabheka joins Of Soul & Joy’s project assistant Sibusiso Bheka who has been with Afronova since 2020.
Born in 1999 in Libode, Eastern Cape, Mabheka is a photographer who lives and works in Thokoza, Johannesburg. He discovered photography in 2017 through Of Soul and Joy and is currently studying photography at Market Photo Workshop. He has participated in the group exhibitions In Thokoza: Place of Peace at Stop Sign Gallery (Johannesburg, 2019) and Inganekwane at Constitution Hill (Johannesburg, 2021) and at the NWU Gallery (Potchefstroom, 2022).
“We are so thrilled to see Vuyo’s work get the attention it so deserves. His use of mixed media and photographs to create unique collage works highlights the way in which our students at Of Soul and Joy are using photography as a fine art medium. To be recognised by such an established gallery as Afronova is a testament to this, and Vuyo’s artistic practice,” says Of Soul and Joy project manager Jabulani Dhlamini.
Since its establishment in Johannesburg in 2005, Afronova Gallery has been a space for developing and consolidating an innovative gallery model alongside some of the most progressive and influential artists in South Africa and the Southern hemisphere. For twenty years, they have been nurturing relationships with a pan-African and international network of like-minded curators, institutions, critics, private foundations, and collectors. In recent years, Afronova Gallery has showcased their artists in prestigious international institutions and foundations such as Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Milan; Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town; Museum of Modern Art, Paris, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris; and Osservatorio – Fondazione Prada, Milan among others.
More about Of Soul and Joy
Initiated in the heart of Thokoza, southeast of Johannesburg, South Africa, Of Soul and Joy aims to provide the township’s youth and its surroundings with professional skills in the field of photography. As a creative platform, Of Soul and Joy offers weekly workshops led by renowned photographers, encounters with art professionals, collaborations with cultural institutions and organizes art events in Africa and abroad.
In its 10 years of existence, the programme has helped reveal young photographers who are now making a living from their work and building an international career. Their work is exhibited in numerous festivals and fairs (Bamako Encounters, Addis Foto Fest, PhotoSaintGermain, Paris Photo, Cape Town Art Fair, etc.), awarded prestigious prizes (CAP Prize, Prince Claus Fund, etc.), and represented by agencies and galleries (Magnum Photos, Afronova).
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