Mphiliseni Manqele

Photographer
Mphiliseni Manqele is a multidisciplinary artist and photographer based in Durban, South Africa. He studied at the Durban University of Technology, where he pursued a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Commercial Photography. His practice spans documentary photography and painting, combining visual sensitivity with conceptual depth to produce distinctive and compelling work. Manqele’s photography engages closely with social and cultural life, documenting moments of everyday experience and sites of worship across urban centres, rural communities, and townships. Guided by a strong commitment to storytelling and authenticity, his work seeks to foreground the textures, rhythms, and narratives of ordinary life. Believing in photography’s capacity to shape public consciousness and effect social change, Manqele approaches image-making as both a reflective and transformative practice. His preference for black-and-white photography reflects its emotive power and its ability to intensify the inner voice of his work. Through careful observation and a refined attention to detail, Manqele offers a nuanced and resonant perspective on the world around him.
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