Thursday, May 29, 2008

Ethnic Beauty of the Week - Thatha Tshisa Thursday

Today we will look at photographer extraordinaire Zanele Muholi. Where did I come across this gem of a photographer? UPeople ofcourse. Watch the episode below.

Her photographs depicting queer African women are astounding. They are beautiful and offer sensuality that is classy and homey. Okay so I'm doing some literal translating in trying to express myself. All I've really got to say is checkout her work yourself.

Zanele's bio is further along in this post. Support African artists, if you can afford it, buy some original artwork! If not, start saving!



Zanele Muholi was born in Umlazi, Durban, in 1972. She completed an Advanced Photography course at the Market Photo Workshop in Newtown and held her first solo exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2004. She has worked as a community relations officer for the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), a black lesbian organisation based in Gauteng, and has as a photographer and reporter for Behind the Mask, an online magazine on lesbian and gay issues in Africa. Her work represents the black female body in a frank yet intimate way that challenges the history of the portrayal of black women’s bodies in documentary photography. Her solo exhibition Only half the picture, which showed at Michael Stevenson in March 2006, has travelled to the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg and the Afrovibes Festival in Amsterdam. She was the recipient of the 2005 Tollman Award for the Visual Arts, and the first BHP Billiton/Wits University Visual Arts Fellowship in 2006. Recent group exhibitions include Heterotopias: the first Thessaloniki Biennale (2007); Olvida Quien Soy - Erase me from who I am at the Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (2006); Second to None at the South African National Gallery (2006) and Subject to Change at the SANG (2005).
Extracted from http://www.michaelstevenson.com/contemporary/artists/muholi.htm

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Feelings

I feel like screaming
I feel like crying
I feel like jumping off of a bridge
I feel like driving off of a cliff
I feel despondent
I feel lethargic
I feel tired
I feel sleepy
All well and truly depressing emotions.

On the flipside

I enjoyed feeling the sun on my face
I enjoyed hearing the waves crashing on the beach
I enjoyed feeling the breeze as it blew off of the lake
I enjoyed hearing the birds singing
I enjoyed feeling the sand underfoot
I enjoyed seeing the sail boats with their colorful sails sailing full wind
The cold water had me jumping around but it felt good
Even the snarly downtown traffic made me smile
All well and truly uplifting emotions.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Happy Birthday

Two mates of mine have birthdays today so a very happy birthday to them both. Wishing them many many years of love, joy, health, wealth, wisdom and whatever else they may need. Warning to the two ladies: U now have to upgrade from saying early twenties to mid-twenties. :P
Love you both.

Ty

Friday, May 16, 2008

Ethnic Beauty of the Week - Thatha Tshisa Thursday

Unathi Nkayi is the beauty of the week.

The singer, presenter, mother and all-round modern African woman presents Metro FM’s drivetime show alongside Glen Lewis, in the process creating one of the most formidable dual presenter teams ever heard on South African radio.
Having been born in Grahamstown, brought up in Namibia and spent many years in London, Unathi has a wide-ranging and open-minded approach to everything from music to the pressing issues of the day that will make for engaging and compelling radio.
A Rhodes University Journalism and Drama graduate, Unathi moved to Johannesburg in 2001 becoming a presenter for Castle Loud and then moving onto the YFM platform.
As her fans have come to expect from her, Unathi is intent on “being myself and speaking my mind honestly” on the show. “I believe that if you are real and sincere you can reach out and touch the listeners and they will not want to stop listening to your show.” http://www.metrofm.co.za/djs/glen-lewis

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

My two cents

Hey all, Hope you are enjoying the spring weather that has been trying to make a comeback. To be honest this has been one of the longest winters that I've ever experienced. I wish it would warm up already. I love going to the lake, but that cold breeze is keeping my visits short.

It has also been a rather rough time in and of itself. I recently lost someone that was near and dear to my heart and I've been struggling with one or two other issues.
The person that I lost was the only person remaining in my life that I considered a grandparent. She was loving and caring, and always full of encouragement. She also played a mean game of Boggle. I recall meeting her for the first time. It was a Sunday afternoon, my freshman year in college and I needed to pick up a bike from her place. I rang the doorbell and she came to the door. I told her my name and that I needed to pick up the bike in the back that was left for me. She says okay, go around and closes the door. I thought damn, y'all what'd I do wrong. Anyway, later that year I needed a place to stay and asked a friend of mine. She in turn asked grandma and I moved in summer of '01. I've loved the woman since. I love her family as well. They are always willing to help you if you get yourself in a pickle. They are practically my extended family. Can't even imagine life without them. They have pitched in to help my family out numerous times... who can forget the Christmas when grandma Hughes' house was bursting at the seams coz my family had come in and so had her family. It was fun I tell you.
She will be missed by many. It was evident at her funeral this past Saturday, and I for one do hope that her legacy of caring and opening up her house to those in need will go on. I haven't figured out how I intend to honor her memory, but when I do it is something that I hope will do her memory justice.

Going home also made me think of other things. Have you ever been surrounded by people and still felt lonely. It's a kind of loneliness that just works it's way through you until all that you want to do is scream and shout or do something stupid to get rid of it. It shows up when you are really tired, or sleepy , or your defenses are down and stays until you find something to push it out.
The fear of this type of loneliness is what keeps me from getting attached to people at times. When they leave it's like a void and you start from scratch again. I don't make friends easily and I don't trust easily. I would rather have one or two trusted friends than a hundred superficial friends, why else do you think my online profiles usually have only a handful of buddies.

Anyway enough of my babbling, what started out as a two cent post suddenly became a dime's worth of posted material ... that's what you get when you give a long winded person a damn keyboard.

Ty

Jenn & Dee's Vlog: Work Out 3.4

The ladies are back for yet another installment. Love em! Gay slang term of the episode is 'the ho stroll'. Example: When you are in the line for the club and you get out and walk up and down the line so everyone can peep the merchandise. You are just trying to get some attention.

I will admit to being guilty of that crime every now and then. If you don't flaunt it yourself, nobody will do it for you.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Hamba Kahle Gogo

Hamba Kahle, Sizokukhumbula mawethu. Inkosi ikugcine sizesibonane kanjalo
Go well Grandma Hughes. You will be missed by all. May the Lord keep you until we see each other again.




Rebecca Malope Hamba Lengqola.

Jenn & Dee's Vlog: Work Out 3.3

The ladies yet again... two snaps for Troy and his fabulous self.