As the country moved into a hard lockdown because of Covid-19, millions of South Africans' lives would be changed forever.
For full-time fashion and portrait photographer Rizqua Barnes, life would come to an abrupt halt as the country entered into uncharted territory.
With all events and functions cancelled in the country, Barnes was left with no work and therefore no income.
“The pandemic hit me with major blows. Weddings and events were cancelled or down sized and being a freelancer, it left me with virtually no income. I also suffered severe anxiety which at times left me paralysed,” she added.
While the lockdown may have left her without any work or income, it gave Barnes an opportunity to reflect on her future.
Instead of wallowing in her own grief, Barnes grabbed her camera and set off to work in her community of Athlone, to capture how the pandemic had affected people there.
Her online exhibition “Renaissance” forms part of the inaugural “People’s Photography Exhibition”, launched last weekend.
The People’s Photography is a revolutionary platform which aims to change the gaze and narrative and put power in the hands of the people via visual story-telling.
Barnes is one of 13 photographers who feature, focusing on communities coping with Covid-19, and the resilience of the South Africans during this challenging period.
Launched by Tribal Alchemy Productions, it is the first of its kind in South Africa, and is online because of the pandemic.
The project is funded by the National Arts Council, as a part of the PESP (The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme) creating employment opportunities for 25 people with the online exhibition, as well as the physical event launch.
Barnes’ exhibition consists of 25 images. She carefully selected individuals from her community whose lives had been severely affected.
“To me, this exhibition is a showcase of the resilience of the human spirit. It’s a showcase of people standing up after getting knocked down by life, and this pandemic; and recreating themselves completely. I find it amazing that some people came together to celebrate that,” she said.
It took Barnes a week to capture the photos of all her subjects.
“I chose these people from my community because they stood out as people who had lost all means of income, picked themselves up and then started working on not only their own survival but also used their skills to benefit the community,” says Barnes.
“I needed to expose the hope that can come out of the loss that many people have suffered. This pandemic was the ideal opportunity to have a simple shift in mindset of what we thought was a regular way of earning an income.”
One of Barnes’ first subjects was her parents' neighbour, “Uncle Rafiek”, who is a building contractor by trade but had lost all his contracts.
“Instead of going for broke, he started buying and hawking fresh fruit and vegetables from his home. When our household tested positive for the virus, I was brought to tears when I opened our front door and there I found a box of fresh fruit and vegetables which he dropped off for our use.
“This touched me because of the humanity that shone through and how our community was prepared to unselfishly share whatever they could to lighten the burden.”
Another of Barnes’ subjects was her own neighbour, Wasfie, a chef whose job became redundant during the pandemic.
“Wasfie, is a qualified chef and his job was also made redundant. Instead of moping, both he and his wife, Kaltuma, literally rolled up their sleeves and started making delicious, nutritious and affordable meals and pizzas on a daily basis for the community.
“This was huge for me because I realised how this lockdown limited people's visits to the supermarkets or their daily meals. Wasfie and Kaltuma were and still are our life lines.”
“I hope to showcase the common peoples’ resilience in times of hardship and also to use my skills to be more involved in community work – and of course this platform may create work in many other directions. This exhibition has jerked me out of the comfort of always being surrounded by fashionable events, ” says Barnes, who has been a professional photographer for more than 13 years now.
She describes her journey during her latest exhibition as exhilarating and says she learnt valuable lessons along the way.
“I felt they (the people) were most deserving – interviewing them humbled me.”
“One of the most important things that I have learned while shooting for the exhibit is that we tend to overlook the worth of ordinary people who surround us on a daily basis. Our people are like fynbos who need to burn down before they show their brilliance with their regrowth, hence the title “Renaissance”.
Barnes says she’s incredibly proud of the final product, and hopes that her work resonates with other South Africans.
“I tend to sidestep vanity as photography is my passion and I am happy just to photograph, but I must admit that I was proud of the end product of this exhibition.
“I have to also be honest that my nerves were shot, as it was the first time that my work was being exhibited on such a huge national platform.”
The People’s Photography Exhibition will remain online for a period of one year, and photographs will be available to purchase online before the end of May, after the exhibition launch date.
To view the exhibition, click here.