Lindokuhle Sobekwa (born 1995) is a South African documentary photographer. He is a Nominee member of

Magnum Photos Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in New York City, Paris, London and Tokyo. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David Seymour (photographer), Davi ...

and based in Johannesburg.

Life and work

Sobekwa was born in

Katlehong Katlehong is a large township in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It is 28 km south-east of Johannesburg and south of Germiston between two other townships of Thokoza and Vosloorus next to the N3 highway. It forms part of the City of E ...

, a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

, 35 km from

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. He learned photography in 2012 through participation in the first Of Soul and Joy Project, an educational programme for young people run in the township of

Thokoza Thokoza, formerly Tokoza, is a township in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. Thokoza is at the location of the now-defunct Palmietfontein Airport. It is situated south east of Alberton, adjacent to Katlehong. Thokoza was the first black township which was es ...

; the workshop was given by

Bieke Depoorter Bieke Depoorter (born 1986) is a Belgian photographer. The relationships she establishes with her subjects lie at the foundation of her practice. Depoorter is a member of Magnum Photos and has published the books ''Ou Menya'' (2011), ''I am About ...

and Cyprien Clément-Delmas. His photo essay, ''Nyaope,'' about people who use the drug

Nyaope Whoonga (also known as nyaope or wonga) is a form of black tar heroin, sometimes mixed with other substances, that came into widespread use in South Africa in 2009. Its use is concentrated in the impoverished Township (South Africa), townships ...

in the township in which he lived and beyond, was published by the South African newspaper ''

Mail & Guardian The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cultu ...

'' in 2014 and by ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

'' and ''

De Standaard ''De Standaard'' (meaning ''The Standard'' in English) is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Mediahuis (formerly Corelio and VUM). It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and F ...

'' in 2015. He joined

as a Nominee member in 2018.

Publications

*''Free From my Happiness.'' With Sibusiso Bheka and Tshepiso Mazibuko. Edited by

and Tjorven Bruyneel. With essays by Sean O'Toole.

Awards

*2017: Selected for

Magnum Foundation Magnum Foundation is a non-profit, photographic foundation located in New York City with a mission to expand diversity and creativity in documentary photography. History and mission Magnum Foundation was founded in 2007, in the midst of the c ...

Photography and Social Justice program to develop ''I Carry Her Photo With Me.'' *2018: Magnum Foundation Fund grant, to continue his series ''Nyaope.''

Group exhibitions

No Man's Art Gallery No Man's Art Gallery is the first art gallery to organize pop-up galleries in a different country every year. The gallery, whose headquarters opened in 2018 in Bos & Lommer Amsterdam, e. experiments with creating an alternative art market structure ...

pop-up gallery, Cape Town, South Africa, March–April 2014. Included Sobekwa's Series ''Nyaope.'' *''Free From My Happiness,'' International Photofestival of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium, 2015; Perignem, Beernem, Belgium, April 2016;

Johannesburg Art Gallery The Johannesburg Art Gallery is an art gallery in Joubert Park in the city centre of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the largest gallery on the continent with a collection that is larger than that of the Iziko South African National Gallery i ...

, Johannesburg, South Africa, May–August 2016. Included Sobekwa's Series ''Nyaope'' as well as work by Sibusiso Bheka and Tshepiso Mazibuko. Curated by Tjorven Bruyneel and

. *No Man's Art Gallery pop-up gallery, Tehran, Iran, May–June 2016. Curated by Lih-Lan Wong, Zohreh Deldadeh and Emmelie Koster. Included Sobekwa's Series ''Nyaope.'' *''Fresh Produce,'' Turbine Art Fair, Turbine Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2016.

References

External links

*
Sobekwa's page at Magnum Photos
1995 births Living people People from Katlehong South African photographers Magnum photographers {{Photographer-stub