Lindokuhle Sobekwa

This work has been kindly donated by the artist

Photographer Lindokuhle Sobekwa deals with themes of social injustice in the townships of South Africa and, more recently, a deeper look at his personal life. Sobekwa’s most recent photo series documents meaningful places and people in the countryside, leading him on an investigation of his roots.

Ezilalini (The Country) Gogo Lucy Zwane in her garden (2021) is part of a larger series which explores the area around Tsomo, a community in the Eastern Cape. Tsomo is the place where Sobekwa’s sister Ziyanda grew up. It is also a place his family called home. As the artist worked on the series about his sister’s estrangement from the family (and, ultimately, her death), he found himself returning to the Eastern Cape often to look for answers. What he found was a sense of reconnection to culture, identity and family. “Ezilalini” refers to what many people see as “home” in the countryside, rather than the cities (such as Johannesburg) in which they make their living. The artist draws our attention to the deep fragmentation in families and communities caused by the need to make a living in urban centres and recognises “Ezilalini” as the spiritual place of his elders and ancestors.