Staff Writer
Cape Times photographer Masixole Feni launches his first solo exhibition, Water is Life, today.
The award-winning series, which showcases flooding in various city townships over several years, is on display at Alliance Française in Loop Street, Cape Town.
The series won a South African Centre for Photography award for its relevance to the theme related to 20 years of democracy.
Feni, 26, from Mfuleni, said he was excited about his first solo exhibition which consists of photographs spanning three years.
“I wanted to show people that, 20 years after democracy, basic services are still not supplied. Most people might think there has been a big change, but for some people nothing has changed,” he said.
Feni started taking photographs when he was 15 and living at an orphanage in Mfuleni.
A group of photographers had visited the orphanage to do a presentation about photography. Feni was hooked.
“I have always wanted to have my own exhibition with my own topics that I wanted to share,” he said.
As for his favourite photograph among his selection?
“I don’t really have a favourite but I really like the picture of the man looking at the dam of water in Site C, Khayelitsha. The picture was taken on the way to work one morning when I was about to catch the train. I knew there had been heavy rain the night before so I walked around some flooded areas. This man just came and passed me so I took the picture.
“If there is someone in the picture, there’s so much more for the viewer to observe,” he said.
In a statement, Dimitri Perez, Alliance Française cultural co-ordinator said: “The Alliance Française, in collaboration with the SA Centre for Photography, will host and support the month-long showcase, as well as facilitate a public programme which invites interaction between the community, the photographer and the work.
“It is also an honour to have Masixole Feni at Alliance as he has previously won the South African leg of the Alliance Française International Photography contest.
“This is a continuation also of our recognition of his beautiful work and the social topics he shares.”