Trip to the V&A museum
Last Sunday, just to relax and soak in some British culture, a dear friend and I walked around Central London and happened to stroll into the V&A Museum in Kensington.
Sorry for the picture, got messed up in editing...
Apart from the obviously awesome sights of magnificent sculptures,
Beautiful old world artefacts from the Middle East,
Asia,
...and a very captivating chandelier/sculpture.
However, there was an exhibition going on which caught my attention and was the highlight of my day. The exhibition; Figures & Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography, was sponsored by Standard bank of South Africa and ended on the day of my visit.
It featured top South African photographers like David Goldblatt (Ex-offenders), Santu Mofokeng, Guy Tillim, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Beni Searle, Jodi Bieber, Terry Kurgan, just to name a few.
Two photographers stood out for me..
My favourite photographer of the day though was Kudzanai Chiurai, a 30 year old Zimbabwean based in South Africa. His work on display, THE PARLIAMENT, features his friend Siyabonga - a South African DJ dressed as a variety of government officials. The pictures are very exaggerated and humorous. From the Minister of Finance with his fur coat and his massive 'bling' chain to the Minister of Education with books in one hand, a briefcase in the other and a gun in his pants.
I love the way the pictures showcases the excesses of the African government officials in a humorous manner. Ostentatious, decadent and oblivious to the suffering of the citizenry, it highlights the complete disconnect of and the mockery made of the positions they hold.
The Parliament is a very appealing and visually stunning collection and as such, gained celebrity fans. Apparently, Elton John owns a copy of the Minister of Education.
My personal favourite is the Minister of Finance. It defines what a lot of ministers and elected officials think is their entitlement. Opulent and oblivious to societal needs sums it up for me.
It was a real treat spending the afternoon admiring the works of some African photographers. I do hope there would be more exhibitions like this and more companies take the initiative to invest and promote African artists and art. We have a lot to offer to the international community.
Enjoy and keep reading!
Sorry for the picture, got messed up in editing...
Beautiful old world artefacts from the Middle East,
...and a very captivating chandelier/sculpture.
However, there was an exhibition going on which caught my attention and was the highlight of my day. The exhibition; Figures & Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography, was sponsored by Standard bank of South Africa and ended on the day of my visit.
It featured top South African photographers like David Goldblatt (Ex-offenders), Santu Mofokeng, Guy Tillim, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Beni Searle, Jodi Bieber, Terry Kurgan, just to name a few.
Two photographers stood out for me..
Pieter Hugo is probably most know for his work, THE HYENA & OTHER MEN, his photographs of the hyena handlers ( Gadawan Kura) in Lagos and Abuja. Some of the pictures from this collection were on display as well as a few from his other work, PERMANENT ERROR, photographs of cyber dump sites and scavengers in Accra.
My favourite photographer of the day though was Kudzanai Chiurai, a 30 year old Zimbabwean based in South Africa. His work on display, THE PARLIAMENT, features his friend Siyabonga - a South African DJ dressed as a variety of government officials. The pictures are very exaggerated and humorous. From the Minister of Finance with his fur coat and his massive 'bling' chain to the Minister of Education with books in one hand, a briefcase in the other and a gun in his pants.
I love the way the pictures showcases the excesses of the African government officials in a humorous manner. Ostentatious, decadent and oblivious to the suffering of the citizenry, it highlights the complete disconnect of and the mockery made of the positions they hold.
The Parliament is a very appealing and visually stunning collection and as such, gained celebrity fans. Apparently, Elton John owns a copy of the Minister of Education.
My personal favourite is the Minister of Finance. It defines what a lot of ministers and elected officials think is their entitlement. Opulent and oblivious to societal needs sums it up for me.
It was a real treat spending the afternoon admiring the works of some African photographers. I do hope there would be more exhibitions like this and more companies take the initiative to invest and promote African artists and art. We have a lot to offer to the international community.
Enjoy and keep reading!
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