Centre for Visual Art hosts Amazwi Ethu: Speaking Back! Photography Exhibition

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The Centre for Visual Art (CVA) within the School of Arts hosted a photography exhibition titled: Amazwi Ethu: Speaking Back! at the Jack Heath Gallery in Pietermaritzburg.

The event was hosted in collaboration with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

Photovoice methodology was used in the project to work with vulnerable youths from Sweetwaters, a semi-rural community on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, to gain insights into the challenges and risks faced by the community, especially as young men and women experience them.

This exhibition aimed to prioritise the voice of the youth in the Sweetwaters community in the hopes of empowering them to fulfil the potential of such projects to “ignite social change”.

Pictures were chosen with a view to providing a balanced representation of the body as a whole, allowing viewers a glimpse into the harsh realities faced by these young men and women on a daily basis. Space was left to show the prominence of hope and aspiration, with an emphasis on the display of a profound resilience.

Dr Louise Hall of the CVA said: ‘The CVA will also showcase student work at the KZNSA in October.  We have a number of student exhibitions scheduled for this semester, including the work of individual Master of Fine Arts students for examination.’

Words by: Melissa Mungroo