Dimpho Mashile, co-founder of Kgopelo, discusses how her brand blends indigenous African knowledge with modern technology within a beauty industry that has historically excluded Black women. This Q&A reveals Kgopelo’s approach to competing in the industry, its origins, challenges, and emphasis on storytelling, sustainability, and community. In such a competitive sector, the brand stands out…
From September 2nd to 4th, Imbewu Collective hosted a Jazz and Zine Workshop at Umhlabathi Collective in Newtown, Johannesburg. Drawing from Black Consciousness Centred by Tumi Mogorosi, the three-day event was a gathering of minds and bodies deliberating together on the influence of Black Consciousness on artistic practice. It provided a platform for critical dialogue and collaboration…
Sustainability has become something of a buzzword nowadays in the world of design and oftentimes, with its tendencies towards cultural appropriation and erasure, it isn’t hard to see through its thin facade. But every so often, you come across an entity that is so tethered to the soil and the culture, that it is hard…
On the 27th of July, The Keleketla Media Arts Project launched their latest publication, Wondering Hand(s) and Spirited Ink: Snapshots into the Black Public Humanities (2024) at their Troyeville location. For years Keleketla! has been an indelible symbol of resilience and communal spirit and it was a great delight to be invited to their commercial…
Meet Hugo E Silva, a visual artist, stylist, and set designer whose work blends fine art and fashion. With a fresh portfolio and a passion for innovation, Hugo is making huge moves in the creative industry, collaborating with esteemed brands and participating in high-profile events. Hugo’s formal education in fine arts has equipped them with…
On June 18th, the team from Quiet Ground held an intimate event at Zimbabwean artist Kudzanai Chiurai’s The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember, founded in 2017 as an ‘audio-visual archive of Black resistance’. The generous servings of soup went well with the themes of home, land, water, and communal repair explored in the multidisciplinary…
Dance is more than just physical performance; it’s a form of communication that intersects personal and public interests. While I’ve always admired dance as an art discipline, I’ve also grown fascinated by the concept of movement itself as a crucial and independent subject. Key to helping me understand the topic of dance and movement more…
Every year, South Africans celebrate Youth Day to honour the 1976 Soweto Uprising in their own special way. The ComUnity festival is set to hold its Youth Day Reunion celebration at the Old Biscuit Mill on Monday, June 17th. This festival stands out for its unique celebration of culture and its efforts to promote diversity…
Social media is still pushing the narrative of quick, easy, excessive wealth and while many count this as aspirational, it’s not always realistic or attainable, especially in a country like South ah! So before you risk it all and skip school to become the next TikTok sensation, there’s plenty of info people have put together…
Now I will be the first to admit that my grasp of politics has its limitations. Yet, as I queued up on Wednesday to participate in this year’s seventh general election, I found myself wondering about the emotions surrounding the act of voting. From the weight of individual choices to the hesitance or uncertainty some…
Growing up in South Africa, we knew what cheerleaders, marching bands and American football were, but our own school customs were decisively shunned by mainstream media. Recently, likely due to the increasing popularity of the Springboks after their 2023 World Cup win and viral videos like Die Hard Rugby’s The Most Feared Rugby Team in…
Look Here, Look at Me What may appear to be changing is the greater use of online resources. Further necessitated by the pandemic, they will continue in use because they are a convenient and cost-effective way of sharing work but also a familiar way of looking for modern audiences. “When I started with my art…
