Aftermath

Popihuise; (the Xhosa vernacular version of the Afrikaans word for doll's house) explores the artist's lived experience through collaged still images, contrasting the childhood memories and the toys he would play with while surrounded by the reality of life in a South African township. Creating a unique series of artwork and installations inspired by this environment, he uses cut out pictures from his childhood, drawings, and photocollage, as a reference to "Umkokotelo";, a slang term for reinvented structures. Through his photography, Vuyo Mabheka seeks out some kind of expressive truth as a way to restore his memories and to find a way to come to terms with the reality of life in a South African township, for himself and his community.

Mabheka is the recipient of the Images Vevey Special Jury Prize 2023/2024 for his proposal Popihuise.