1st of January , inside the police van. Charges: operating in municipal space without a permit from the series 'Honeymoon. The happily ever after?', 202530 x 40cmSign in to view price
This black-and-white photograph by Sabelo Mlangeni features a grid pattern in the foreground, possibly from a police van, which partially obscures the view of people on a beach. The composition contrasts confinement with the open, sunlit scene beyond the bars. The gritty realism and intimate portrayal suggest Mlangeni’s commitment to uncovering beauty within the ordinary and challenging aspects of life. The image reflects the artist's exploration of community and everyday experiences, capturing unseen narratives within seemingly mundane environments. Mlangeni’s work is rooted in his desire to tell deeper stories of human existence in Johannesburg. ...
Working largely in black and white format, Sabelo Mlangeni has built his practice around intimate photographs that draw out the inherent beauty in the ordinary. Mlangeni is driven by his interest in the notions of community and communing where a central part of his process requires him to spend significant time —weeks, months, sometimes years—with those he chooses to photograph; sharing intimately in their thoughts, feelings, stories and everyday lives. His practice is a continuous survey of the most challenging, beautiful and confounding aspects of the human experience.
“I have been moving around Johannesburg and its closest suburbs as someone interested in story-telling about everyday life. In my early walks, I found myself in many spaces where the situation and the living conditions were impossible to look at and to photograph. Then I started wondering, what to frame? Soon another side of the hardships emerged, and I attempted to capture that hidden beauty, that ordinary peace.” - Mlangeni ...
Based in a 360 sqm gallery in Woodstock, Cape Town, blank was founded by Jonathan Garnham as a project space in 2005 and transitioned into a commercial gallery during 2012. The gallery represents emerging and increasingly established artists from the region in a critically engaged programme that emphasises contemporaneity, with a focus on concept and abstraction in the African context. With an exhibition programme that has a reputation for shaping the discourse around contemporary art in South(ern) Africa, and participation in prominent local and international art fairs, we seek to place our artists' work in a wide range of private and institutional collections. In addition, blank continues to promote the visual arts in our community through ongoing projects that support the sector. ...
