Born in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, Lulu Mhlana lives and works in Cape Town. Mhlana became a self-trained lens-based artist after completing her diploma in Business Communications from the Tshwane University of Technology (2014).

Mhlana centres her practice on the intimacy of black bodies and black existence in rewriting the current and historical narratives of blackness. Specialising in self-portraiture, one can experience intimate and sacred moments with the artist through her images. In her flagship and on-going project called Ubumnyama Bam (My Blackness), Mhlana uses herself as the protagonist of her own story.

As an extension of including herself in her images, she recently exhibited images from her series titled Uthando (Love), here Mhlana uses a queer lens to capture her images. The intimate black and white photographs focus on black queer love, not as something that is out of the ordinary, but as a part of life.

Instagram: Lulumhlana

Noluthando’s work is strongly influenced by the method of Impressionism, Expressionism, Colour Layering, Symbolism, African Cultures, Esther Mahlangu and African Beadwork. Which relates to her calling as a healer and her spiritual life, as they play a big part in conceptualizing and creation of her art.

The exploitation of beads in her paintings depicts the emotions and spiritual energies that are a dynamic nature of African life. Dlozi M’s use of beadwork as a visual language that speaks to the heart and soul of African cultures. 

As Mbuyisa is on a spiritual path, her art is guided by God, Isithunywa (prayer warrior) and her royal ancestral spirits Amakhosi (Kings) in portraying a specific emotion or message to the humankind. 

Mbuyisa tittles her art as therapeutic art with healing stories that run deep within the realities of human nature. Who is Dlozi M? She is the healing ancestor of her clan’s name Mbuyisa that is how her name came about.

Instagram: dlozim

Originally from the DR Congo, Hugo migrated to South Africa as a four-year-old in 2007 with his family, seeking better conditions and opportunities. Years into his arrival in South Africa, Hugo took part in an art therapy program through the Butterfly Art Project in 2012. 

The program showed him how art could be used as a means of expression, helped him deal with and overcome his childhood trauma of being an immigrant and much later start him off on his journey into pursuing art. 

Hugo’s practice focuses on a majority of themes but essentially on thorough re-examinations of the legacies of violent pasts and their impact on the world today, with sub-themes such as Post Colonialism, Socio Political, and Socio Economic issues such as wars, conflict, displacement, cultural identity, tribalism, and depression.

Hugo Kabeya started his residency on 1st July and ended on 24th August 2024. The residency was sponsored by DAC on Dorp.

Instagram: hugokanyingukabeya

Yvette Hughes was born in Wellington, a small town just outside of Cape Town, in South Africa. Through the years, Yvette has always been attracted to creativity, whether in the form of music, architecture or acting. While never seeing herself as a visual artist, this all changed when settling back into life in South Africa after living abroad in Dubai for many years.

Growing up in a small town, her exposure to the big city life of Johannesburg and Dubai made an imprint on her style and way of thinking. Starting off with experimenting with simple doodles, these lines and circles soon morphed into complex forms and her black line drawings took on a life of their own.

Yvette combines her appreciation for the smallest and most seemingly trivial detail that surrounds our lives to create mesmerizing yet calming pieces that are inspired by subject matter surrounding her.

Yvette Hughes started her residency on 1st July and ended on 24th August 2024. The residency was sponsored by DAC on Dorp.

Instagram: yvettehughesart

As an artist, Kabelo Moraloki, strives to capture the beauty and complexity of the world around him through his creations, His work reflects his fascination with the intersections between art, culture and humanity, and his desire to explore and understand the world through visual representation.

He draws inspiration from the natural world, as well as from the different cultures and traditions that he encounters on his journey, each of his artworks depict a unique narrative from his personal experience or the experience of others. His creative process is deeply reflective and experimental.

Moraloki often finds himself experimenting with different materials and techniques in order to archive the desired effect. The artworks are characterized by bold colours, intricate patterns and abstract shapes, all of which come together to create a vivid dream-like world that invites viewers to explore and contemplate.

Kabelo Moraloki started his residency on 1st July and ended on 24th August 2024. The residency wa sponsored by DAC on Dorp.

Instagram: kablomoralokiart

Andile Bhala, a Fujifilm Ambassador based in Soweto, South Africa, is a distinguished documentary and commercial photographer. In addition to his photographic practice, Bhala is an accomplished photography lecturer and facilitator.

He has earned recognition through several prestigious photography awards and was a finalist at the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards. His work is informed by his upbringing and offers nuanced reflections on various communities within contemporary South Africa, with a focus on capturing the complexities of real stories.

Bhala's uBUDODA series was first exhibited during his incubator program at the Market Photo Workshop in 2018, later featured at the Addis Ababa Foto Fest. His acclaimed God Moves series was exhibited at the Arles International Festival in 2023 and 2024.

Instagram: andilebhala

Born on March 14 in Benoni, South Africa, Collen Silumko Mfazwe is a Johannesburg- based photographer, videographer, and trans activist with a deep history of community involvement and artistic expression. His artistic journey began in 2012 when he enrolled in a visual arts course through the Curriculum Development Project (CDP). Collen’s advocacy within the LGBTQI+ community started with Uthingo The Rainbow, a Black LGBTQI+ organisation focused on driving change in local communities. He also became part of the Rainbow Activist Alliance, a group dedicated to creating safe spaces for LGBTQI+ individuals and women.

Collen’s passion for visual storytelling led him to study photography at the Market Photo Workshop and to receive professional film training through News From Home (NFH), a production company that focuses on experimental and artistic films. His work spans multiple mediums, with a strong focus on photography and filmmaking, and he continues to seek opportunities to expand his craft.

Collen has contributed actively to various organizations, including Inkanyiso, a media collective founded by photographer Prof. Zanele Muholi, and ActionAid South Africa (AASA), a global movement promoting human rights and poverty eradication. His consultancy work with GALA Queer Archive has been vital in preserving and sharing the history of LGBTQI+ communities in South Africa.

Internationally recognised for his contributions, Collen has completed several artist residencies and has exhibited his work in cities such as Oslo, Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, San Francisco, and Johannesburg. His dedication was honoured with the Best Photographer award at the LGBTI Recognition Awards in 2013.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Collen produced the short documentary Geleza, which highlights the work of Nonkululeko Mthunzi, an artist from Daveyton, also known as Sicka Star-ban. In 2023, he directed Road to Life, a short film about Sphiwe Nyonyane, a queer public servant from Daveyton. These films have cemented Collen’s reputation as a filmmaker committed to telling meaningful, often overlooked stories.

Continuing to collaborate with various organizations, Collen remains dedicated to expanding his skills while engaging in the broader discourse on gender, identity, and human rights through his art. His involvement with Muholi Productions/Muholi Arts Institute (MAI) in Cape Town reflects his ongoing commitment to impactful visual storytelling.

Collen is represented by Jonathan Carver Moore Gallery in the United States, and his work is part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC.

Instagram: my_name_is_silumko