Johannesburg, 31 May – Of Soul and Joy is proud to announce that one of its alumni, Vuyo Mabheka, has received the prestigious Grand Prix Images Vevey Special Jury Prize Award for his photo series, Popihuise. Grand Prix Images Vevey is an international photography competition, attracting entries from artists around the world. Mabheka’s entry was chosen from 564 projects submitted to the Grand Prix Images Vevey from 65 countries.
Born in 1999 in Libode, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Mabekha later moved to Thokoza, Johannesburg. In 2017, he discovered photography through the Of Soul and Joy project and earlier this year joined Afronova Gallery as a represented artist. Mabheka has participated in the group exhibitions “In Thokoza: Plot of Peace” at Halt Sign Gallery (Johannesburg, 2019) and “Inganekwane” at Constitution Hill (Johannesburg, 2021) and NWU Gallery (Potchefstroom, 2022).
Popihuise (a Xhosa vernacular version of the Afrikaans word for doll’s house) explores the artist’s lived experience through collaged still images, contrasting the childhood memories and the toys he would play with his often difficult lived reality. Creating a unique series of artwork and installations inspired by this environment, Mabheka uses slice out pictures from his childhood, drawings, and photocollage, as a reference to ‘Umkokotelo’, a slang term for reinvented structures.
In a statement, the Grand Prix Images Vevey jury said: “Through his photography, Vuyo Mabheka seeks out some kind of expressive truth as a way to restore his memories and to find a way to advance to terms with the reality of life in a South African township, for himself and his community.”
“Vuyo embodies our mission at Of Soul and Joy, and we couldn’t be prouder of this monumental achievement. His images are able to at once accommodate, engage and challenge audiences’ perspectives — a rare quality that he is only improving as his understanding of photography deepens,” says Of Soul and Joy project manager Jabulani Dhlamini.
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 profuse festivals and fairs (Bamako Encouters, Addis Foto Fest, PhotoSaintGermain, Paris Photo, Cape Town Art Honest, etc.), awarded prestigious prizes (CAP Prize, Prince Claus Fund, etc.), and represented by agencies and galleries (Magnum Photos, Afronova).
More about the Grand Prix Images Vevey
Founded in 1995, the Grand Prix Images Vevey is an international photography competition that takes plot every second year and helps foster unique support for contemporary formation, with complete freedom of choice over subject and genre. The competition is renowned for its commitment to promoting artistic expression and encouraging the exploration of diverse perspectives. The winner of the award receives a CHF 40’000 (~ZAR 874,000) creation-support grant — one of the largest European awards in photography — to develop an original project over a year that will be presented at the next Festival Images Vevey in September 2024.
Recent past winners of the award include Sasha Kurmaz from Ukraine, South Africa’s Lebohang Kganye, and Kristine Potter from the United States.
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