They say a picture paints a thousand words, and that’s exactly what South African photographer Jabulani Dhlamini’s work is all about; telling stories. Take a look.
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00:00Photographer Jabulani Damini has gone on to create photographic work about people overcoming
00:07their traumatic pasts.
00:24Jabulani gives classes on Saturday mornings at the local high school in the Tokoza township.
00:55But it's dealing with these problems that they face on a daily basis.
00:59My main aim is to decolonize the use of photography, how photography was used during apartheid times.
01:10And also just to expose the young ones to photography.
01:15So I'm here to learn more about photography.
01:18I had a dream and then he just gave me this camera.
01:22And I was like, no, just take this camera.
01:24So ever since I'm on the journey, I can take good pictures.
01:34Jabulani isn't always in the classroom.
01:36He currently has an exhibition at the prestigious Goodman Gallery.
01:40This exhibition consists of photographs that he took in 2021 in the Sharpeville community.
01:49The Sharpeville massacre took place on the 21st of March 1960, south of Johannesburg.
01:57Under apartheid laws, black people had their freedom of movement restricted and were forced to carry passbooks.
02:06Residents marched to the police station to protest, but authorities opened fire.
02:11Approximately 250 people were injured and 69 died.
02:18In this project, I collaborated with the community or the survivors that were there in 1960,
02:25that were directly affected by the Sharpeville shooting.
02:29I remember the first time when I did the portrait, they always had these objects with them to prove.
02:35And that they were there and some, you know, the object that trapped their memories of the day.
02:43Like for example, this bag that was there, that the family had to find it there.
02:48So this became a proof that their father has passed on.
02:51Jabulani also photographed objects belonging to community activists.
02:56Like this pillowcase that belonged to a woman who mobilized resistance in Sharpeville in the days of apartheid.
03:05They used to hide the documents, the meetings and the minutes in this pillow.
03:10And one day, the police came and turned her house upside down.
03:15But when they got to this pillow, they took it and just threw it away.
03:20And that's how she got saved in a way.
03:23Most of them, they've never spoke about this to anyone in the level that we engaged in.
03:29So the conversation becomes a very important part of the project.
03:33And they started opening up, you know, they would share, this is me.
03:37Which for me, it was great for them to reclaim themselves.
03:41Even the photographs, what we'd do is that we'd edit them together.
03:46So I also invited them to the opening, you know.
03:50And I mean, the response was very, very positive.
03:54So I mean, yeah, my life motto would say, as human beings, we help each other.
03:58I am who I am because of you.
04:01Giabulani Dlamini is a photographer in close dialogue with his chosen protagonists.