digital archival print in pigment inks on 100% cotton rag fibre paper

Artwork date: 2009
Edition: number 3 from an edition of 8
Exhibited: 'Soweto', Festival L'Oeil Urbain, France (2020); Nordic Light International Festival of Photography, Kristansund, Norway (2017).
'Between Darkness and Light', Fondazione Carispezia Italy (2017); Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein (2017); Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town (2015); Grahamstown Gallery (2015); Australian Centre for Photography (2015); Wits Art Museum, Johannesburg (2014) ; Museum Goch, Germany (2013); Stadhaus Ulm, Germany (2012).
Literature: 'Jodi Bieber: Soweto'. (2010). Johannesburg: Jacana Media.
Location: Johannesburg
Exchange Rates*: USD 1164 – 1455
GBP 870 – 1087
EUR 1043 – 1304

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image size: 126 x 100 cm; framed size: 144 x 118 x 4 cm

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist

Notes:

A percentage of the sale proceeds will be donated to Nolwadle Duma and her family by the artist.

Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Nolwadle Duma and an Anaconda outside her house, Mamfiso Arts and Crafts, Vilakazi Street, Orlando West 2009 forms part of Jodi Bieber's Soweto project, which she describes below:

"To many outsiders, Soweto is often reduced to a few iconic references: Sam Nzima’s powerful photograph of Hector Pieterson from the 1976 uprising, Vilikazi Street with Nelson Mandela’s house, the vast Baragwanath Hospital, and persistent media narratives about poverty, HIV/AIDS, and the township’s dusty, crime-ridden streets. Yet, during my visits to Soweto, I discovered a richness in everyday life that the world media rarely shows. Even as an outsider, I felt a deep desire to create a project that defied these stereotypes—one that engaged with how Sowetans perceive their own home.

Soweto operates on a different rhythm compared to the suburbs of Johannesburg. I found myself envious of how people embrace public living: children playing on pavements, impromptu soccer matches in the streets, and adults engaged in lively conversations with neighbours, friends, and lovers. Music spills from stoeps, where two neighbouring homes might compete with different tunes. I attended weddings, funerals, and even Barbie-themed birthday parties. I ate vegetarian bunny chow, met bikers, and photographed a rock band whose fan base is largely white rockers from Cape Town.

During one of these visits, I met Nolwadle and her mom, whose house is very close to Nelson Mandela’s. They had numerous albino snakes housed in special glass cubicles in their lounge. Rather than fostering fear, they offered snake shows to the community to educate others about these often-misunderstood creatures.

I was introduced to a diverse mix of life, capturing images of the best-dressed man, the old and new generations, gay couples, mixed-race couples, witchdoctors, public life, and private moments. Nolwadle’s early fascination with snakes was just one of the many unique stories that filled my lens, illustrating a life full of vitality, connection, and a sense of home.

Even as an outsider, my love for this country and its people is deep. Through my work, I aim to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about South Africa’s complex and beautiful realities."