Award-winning local photographer Vuyo Mabheka is showcasing the installation that put his name in lights at Switzerland’s biggest visual arts exhibition, making South African creatives everywhere proud!
Global (19 September 2024) — Vuyo Mabheka continues to solidify his name as one of South Africa’s most promising photographic talents. Following a hugely successful 2023, Vuyo has picked another prized feather for his cap—showcasing his acclaimed body of work ‘Popihuise’ at Switzerland’s most significant visual arts exhibition!
A prestigious opportunity for any photographer, The Biennale Images Vevey draws both artists and visitors from across the world.
For the young Thokoza-based photographer, the opportunity to showcase at this level is nothing short of magnificent. But it’s also well-earned.
Last year, Vuyo made headlines for fantastic reasons. He received one Europe’s most coveted photography accolades—the Grand Prix Images Vevey Special Jury Prize for ‘Popihuise’ as a unanimous winner and went on to host a solo exhibition at the Salon Approche Art Fair in Paris.
A deeply personal exploration of his childhood memories growing up in both Libode in the Eastern Cape and Thokoza in Johannesburg, Popihuise has long been the talk of the photography scene internationally.
The term Popihuise, derived from the Xhosa adaptation of the Afrikaans word for ‘doll house’, represents the interplay between imagination and lived experience in Vuyo’s early years.
It’s a unique culmination of stills, drawings and photographs, each posing an important place in the composition of imaginative reality. Additionally, his installation also encompasses the concept of Umkokotelo—reinvented structures that evoke nostalgia and resilience.
An Of Soul and Joy alumni, Vuyo has made the Thokoza-based creative platform incredibly proud along with the rest of South Africa.
Shares Of Soul and Joy project manager Jabulani Dhlamini:
“Vuyo embodies our mission at Of Sou 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.”
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