Thursday, 28 May 2015

Before we exhaled : Personal Work


Browsing through my phone I found a collection of "unused" photos taken from my first five months since moving to Cape Town. It's safe to say that my fixation with dark exposure in images and how a simple object can tell a story inspired me. I took it upon myself to be more experimental with this blog this year and take a few risks. See, I am no photographer but I live to capture moments, places and those special bursts of beauty that happen by mistake once the lens is focused. (Or not focused). These rare occasions of expression I would best describe as what happens just as we are about to "breathe out". 

These photos were all taken by me in the past 5 months and I have tried to keep them in their natural form as much as possible. I hope you find the name of the post fitting and perhaps one day, with a leap of faith I will develop these and turn them into an exhibition piece. Baby steps right? We are all on the journey to growing and constantly evolving. I invite you to come along with me on my journey.





































Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Noir



What comes to mind when you hear the word "black"? Do the words bold, confident, mysterious and beautiful have resonance? For me, it means this and so much more. I hoped to invoke those feelings through the images I took of my beautiful friend Duduza, who in my opinion represents what it truly is to be black. 
Photography and Styling : Palesa Kgasane
model: Duduza Mchunu






Thursday, 9 April 2015

Her(itage)

The last few months have ushered in a wave of change in my life, hence the absence. I decided that this post should be dedicated to creativity without thinking therefore it is neither a look post nor is it a conceptual post but rather a celebration of expression and going beyond the conventional limits. I wanted to portray myself without being contrived but also use different things which belong to me as symbolic references of who I am. Whether it be my braids, my favourite jacket or my bag: these things for part of my external identity.
As one can(hopefully) tell I am very proud of my African heritage and strive to embrace it more with my upcoming work.  This post may seem weird or not make sense but I hope that one of these pictures captures your eye. Self exploration means challenging yourself and sometimes going against the grain, maybe this is the start of something good.

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Lookpost: Black Mermaid

Hello and Happy 2015.

This first lookpost is a collaborative effort between myself and the talented Keagan Kingsley Green of goldcreatures.com. We set our sights on a shoot at the coast in the spirit of Summer and of course celebrating the essence of being a strong black woman.

The images are not so much about the clothing but the power that is evoked in the colour black. I hope that all of you brown women and all other women find power in your femininity and celebrate your inner as well as your outer beauty.

Outfit details:
Kimono: Cotton On
Velvet and sheer top : YDE
Sequence skirt : Mr. P
Shoes: Cotton On
Black neckpiece : Mr. P
*all other accessories from street vendors.
All photos taken by Keagan Kingsley Green. (2015)

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Artist : RAHM(eik)



NYC, visual artist, Parsons The New School for Design and immensely talented. I was drawn to these two images in particular because of how they celebrate the African woman in her most natural state. I love the vibrant use of colour and brush technique, although I am not an expert I can genuinely appreciate his works of art. It's great seeing young people from all over the globe fearlessly do what they are passionate about.

his website : www.rahm-bow.com



Styling : I LOVE Holidays


Hello,
I figured I have not done one of these in a while and because I am about quality over quantity I thought I should create a set which is relevant to my life right now and that is Summer in South Africa. This comes with the need to be comfortable but look stylish and cool. When the sun is out, I still like to wear black and who does not love black? Here are my picks of some essential if you are needing some outfit inspiration for that beach party on the 26th or that sunset pool party you and your friends are planning, you can never go wrong with a good outfit and great company :)
SUMMER IN SOUTH AFRICA