Incubator Edition One | Water
CAP Incubator Edition One programme was hosted between February – July 2022 and funded by The National Arts Council (NAC). Participants included photographers Paulo Menezes, Niamh Walsh-Vorster, Thobani Khumalo, with Lindo Ndlovu and Sibusiso Nzimande. Focusing on the theme of ‘water’ the photographers spent several months creating bodies of work responding in-depth to this theme.

During this incubation period we hosted peer review sessions, writing workshops, trips to fine art printers, Medimage, online talks with international organisations on ethics with fairpicture, and one-on-one consultations with cultural partners. Paulo Menezes’ work explores Durban’s beaches and its ever-changing uses and meanings. With the Indian Ocean as a backdrop, his work looks at migration and the Indian diaspora living in Durban, featuring small-scale fishing practices, to weekend family time along the promenade. He looks for intimate moments among those who frequent the beachfront.  Thobani K focuses on the socio-political issues surrounding water. His work explores the experiences of his community with water access and storage challenges, including the displacement of families by Inanda Dam in the late ’80s. The presentation will provide a macro perspective, contrasting areas with sustainable water access through taps with the reliance of water tankers in the area of Eskebheni. Niamh Walsh-Vorster’s photographic focus has been on the relationship between individuals, including herself, and bodies of water. This encompasses a spectrum of interactions – from engaging in physical activities and sports to embracing water as a medium for spiritual rituals and healing practices. Moments of endurance and mental fortitude, as well as spaces that symbolise freedom and serve as spaces for celebration. Sibusiso Nzimande explores masculinity through his love for fashion, Nzimande uses traditional motifs and garments, and photographs intimate portraits of men in vulnerable presentations. Lindokuhle Ndlovu documents peri-urban and rural areas such as Estcourt (eMtshezi), to the inner city of Durban, and life of KwaMashu township, although his reach goes beyond. His images present a dream-life of spaces historically drenched in violence: a result of aparthied’s Group Areas Act and segregation laws. Ndlovu’s images court a romance with real life, while peeking inside the thin shroud that covers the socio-economic landscape of the KZN province, post-apartheid.
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Hi There, my name is Mandisa

Mandisa Buthelezi is a photographer and film director/producer who was raised in Durban and is currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa. With a vast portfolio that communicates the rural voice, and an appreciation and respect for the culture that has informed her perspective, she is keen on providing photographic and film content that is culturally centered and explores notions of identity and spirituality.

Cataloguing and documenting African culture through visual art has become an important component of her work through assignments.

Hi There, my name is Lindo

Photographer

Growing up in the township of KwaMashu in KwaZulu-Natal and attending primary school in the same town is one of the strongest memories I have about my neighbourhood. The times I spent with my late grandmother Miss Dombi Chiliza and the people I shared my life with at that moment in time in my early childhood, influence the work I create. “I can’t imagine a world without photography – capturing a unique moment in time that will never be repeated” (Gigi Williams).

Hi There, my name is Niamh

Co-Founder & Programme Director

Niamh Walsh-Vorster is a Durban-based writer, independent photographer, and creative producer. She graduated in 2014 with a BJourn from Rhodes University in Makhanda, South Africa.
Niamh is co-founder and editor of the award-winning e-zine, Ja. Magazine. She has exhibited photographic work in group shows at galleries, and independently in various public spaces. In 2016, Niamh was the recipient of a BASA Arts Journalism Award for her review in Ja. Magazine. She has worked with the Durban Center for Photography under the leadership of legendary AfraPix photographer, Peter McKenzie. She was part of the third Incubator Programme at The Market Photo Workshop, 2017 – 2018 in Johannesburg, mentored by Angela Buckland. More recently, Niamh was project manager of the ARTLAB Mentorship programme, which worked with 30 KZN-based creatives in photography, design, and fashion. She was mentor to 10 emerging photographers.