Of Soul and Joy Photo Project

02/06/2026

Featured Artist: Jabulani Dhlamini

Jabulani Dhlamini is a Johannesburg-based documentary photographer whose work explores memory, identity, and the social realities that shape contemporary South Africa. Born in the Free State, he is a graduate of the Vaal University of Technology and a recipient of the prestigious Edward Ruiz Mentorship at the Market Photo Workshop.

Known for his deeply personal and collaborative approach, Dhlamini creates photographs that challenge conventional documentary storytelling, blending autobiography, memory, and social commentary. His work has been exhibited widely across South Africa and internationally, including in Mali, France, Réunion Island, Lesotho, and the United Kingdom.

As part of Of Soul and Joy XIV: Assemblies of Community, Dhlamini's work reflects on the connections between people, place, and belonging, inviting audiences to engage with stories that shape both personal and collective histories.

Walkabout Feature: Explore Jabulani Dhlamini's powerful visual narratives and discover how photography can preserve memory, foster dialogue, and deepen our understanding of community.

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🗓 From 6 June - 31 July 2026

02/06/2026

Featured Artist: Tadiwa Mkono

Born in 2008 and raised in Thokoza, east of Johannesburg, Tadiwa Mkono is an emerging photographer whose work explores memory, identity, and the evolving realities of township life.

Having begun his photographic journey with the Of Soul and Joy Project in 2022, Mkono represents a new generation of visual storytellers using photography to document both personal experiences and collective histories.

Through thoughtful and evocative imagery, Mkono captures moments that bridge the past, present, and future. His photographs reflect a deep curiosity about the people and environments around him, revealing the everyday narratives that shape community life. His work invites viewers to consider how place, culture, and memory influence individual and shared identities.

Despite his young age, Mkono has already participated in numerous exhibitions, including group presentations through Of Soul and Joy and exhibitions in Johannesburg and Thokoza. His growing artistic practice has earned recognition for its authenticity, sensitivity, and unique perspective.

Beyond photography, Mkono has expanded his creative expression through filmmaking, contributing to both documentary and fiction projects that have been screened internationally. His involvement in collaborative arts initiatives demonstrates a commitment to storytelling across multiple mediums and highlights the power of creativity as a tool for learning, connection, and social engagement.

As part of Of Soul and Joy XIV: Assemblies of Community, Mkono's work reflects the exhibition's focus on belonging, collective memory, and the ways communities shape our understanding of ourselves and one another.

Walkabout Feature: Join us as we explore Tadiwa Mkono's emerging photographic practice and discover how a young artist is using image-making to preserve stories, celebrate community, and imagine new possibilities for the future.

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🗓 From 6 June - 31 July 2026
🕙 From 11am

02/06/2026

Featured Artist: Thandile Zwelibanzi

Thandile Zwelibanzi is a South African documentary photographer whose work explores identity, social realities, and the lived experiences of communities often overlooked or misunderstood. A graduate of the renowned Market Photo Workshop, his practice is rooted in storytelling that seeks to uncover deeper truths about people, place, and belonging.

Recognised early in his career as the recipient of the prestigious Edward Ruiz Mentorship, Zwelibanzi has exhibited his work internationally, including at the celebrated Rencontres de Bamako African Biennial. His artistic journey has also taken him to residencies and development programmes across South Africa and abroad, where he has continued to refine a visual language that is both deeply personal and socially engaged.

Beyond his own photographic practice, Zwelibanzi is committed to nurturing the next generation of visual storytellers. Through his work as a mentor, educator, and artist mentor at the Of Soul and Joy Project, he has helped young photographers use the medium as a tool for self-expression, community building, and social change.

His projects often focus on how individuals and communities navigate identity, representation, and collective memory. Whether documenting personal narratives or broader social movements, Zwelibanzi's images encourage viewers to look beyond the surface and engage with the complexities of contemporary South African life.

As part of Of Soul and Joy XIV: Assemblies of Community, Zwelibanzi's work reflects the exhibition's exploration of connection, shared experience, and the power of communities to shape both personal and collective histories.

Walkabout Feature: Join us as we delve into Thandile Zwelibanzi's compelling body of work and discover how photography can challenge perceptions, amplify unheard voices, and foster deeper understanding between people and communities.

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🗓 6 June - 31 July 2026
🕙 From 11am

02/06/2026

Featured Artist: Sibusiso Bheka at

Born in 1997 in Katlehong and currently living and working in Thokoza, Sibusiso Bheka is a South African photographer whose work offers an intimate and nuanced portrayal of township life. Through his lens, Bheka documents the realities of his community while celebrating the resilience, beauty, and complexity that exist within everyday experiences.

A graduate of the Vaal University of Technology and Project Assistant at the Of Soul and Joy Project, Bheka has emerged as one of South Africa's most compelling contemporary photographers. His acclaimed series Stop Nonsense gained international recognition, forming part of the 11th edition of the African Biennale of Photography in Bamako, Mali, and being exhibited at the World Culture Festival in Leiden, Netherlands.

Bheka's work has been showcased at major institutions and festivals across Africa and Europe, including the Addis Foto Fest (Ethiopia), Ghent International Photo Festival (Belgium), Johannesburg Art Gallery, Bristol Photo Festival (UK), and Photo Saint Germain (France). His achievements include being shortlisted for the Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Fellowship and receiving the 2026 ORMS International Photography Prize.

As part of Of Soul and Joy XIV: Assemblies of Community, Bheka's photographs invite viewers to engage with stories of belonging, identity, and shared humanity. His practice reflects the exhibition's central theme: the power of community as a space of connection, memory, and collective expression.

Walkabout Feature: Join us as we explore Sibusiso Bheka's work and gain insight into how photography can serve as both a record of lived experience and a celebration of the communities that shape us.

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🗓 From 6 June - 31 July 2026
🕙 From 11am

30/05/2026

29/05/2026

📸 OF SOUL AND JOY: XIV. ASSEMBLIES OF COMMUNITY

Community. Belonging. Memory. Connection.
Join us for Of Soul and Joy: XIV. Assemblies of Community, an exhibition that brings together the voices and perspectives of emerging photographers, students and mentors who use photography as a tool for storytelling, reflection and empowerment.

Through portraiture, documentary photography and landscape imagery, the exhibition explores the many ways communities are formed, remembered and experienced, from family and faith to friendship, place and shared histories.

🗓 Date: Opening from 6 June 2026
⏰ Time: 11am
📍 Venue:

Come experience a powerful collection of work that celebrates the beauty, complexity and resilience of community through the lens of South Africa’s next generation of visual storytellers.

DocumentaryPhotography

19/05/2026

Light isn’t just technical. It’s emotional. Intentional. Alive.

took our students through the art of seeing light differently — how shadows can shape emotion, how artificial light can completely transform a frame, and how natural light can soften a story into something human.

Because photography isn’t just point and shoot.
It’s deciding what deserves to be seen. What deserves to be felt. What deserves to be remembered. Every shadow placed. Every highlight controlled. Every frame telling a story loud enough to yell without saying a word.
This workshop reminded us that the best photographers don’t just capture moments — they sculpt them with light. ✨

11/12/2025

taking his views and storytelling to new heights with his new project. We've seen immense growth in stills from our group this year, we are certainly upping the game on "telling the story".

When visuals meet story, narrated for the viewer in a way where it blends inspite of how they are viewed, that is LEVELING UP 💪 Power to you

Stay tuned for more like this! Let's create! Let's keep exploring!

13/11/2025

✨ Celebrating South African photography in Brussels and Paris 🇿🇦📸

Earlier this month, we joined photographer , Project Manager of , for two remarkable evenings exploring South Africa’s photographic narratives and histories. From the powerful Recaptured series in Brussels to thought-provoking conversations at in Paris.

Through these dialogues, photography became a bridge... Connecting memory, trauma, and hope, and shining a light on South Africa’s evolving visual landscape.

A heartfelt thank-you to all who joined us and to our incredible collaborators for making these moments unforgettable.

21/10/2025

While the may be over, we continue the conversation of what photography does to move lives.

tells us, "Following the light through this very visceral experience called life, finding it in people's eyes, through tears or dark times, sharing it in moments of connection and reflecting the exquisite glimmers of joy; holding on to the light - this work has helped me look within and without to find the light. To become aware and to show it to you in all its refractions is a wondrous, expansive thing, and I am immensely grateful."

Share, follow and let us know if photography has moved you in some way.