Santu MOFOKENG
Santu Mofokeng, born in 1956 in Soweto, Johannesburg, began his career as a news photographer, after starting as a street photographer in his teenage years and having been a darkroom assistent. He soon joined the collective Afrapix, and publishes his work under his pseudonym Mofokengâ. His work initially portraited the apartheid struggle in South Africa, but has gone on to include a variety of subjects and methods. His work, in which he ‘reclaims landscape’, investigates the meaning of landscape in relation to ownership, power and memory.
Publications
2011 - "Chasing Shadows, Santu Mofokeng, Thirty Years of Photographic Essays" (monograph), Prestel Verlag, Munich, Germany
2012 - "Graves" Steidl, Germany
2013 - "Santu Mofokeng: The Black Photo Album/Look at me 1890-1950", Steidl, Germany
(selection)
2012 - "Graves" Steidl, Germany
2013 - "Santu Mofokeng: The Black Photo Album/Look at me 1890-1950", Steidl, Germany
(selection)
Selected Solo Exhibitions
1994 - Rumours / The Bloemhof Portfolio - Market Galleries, Johannesburg, South Africa
1990 - Like Shifting Sand - Market Galleries, Johannesburg, South Africa
1995 - Distorting Mirror/Townships Imagined - Worker´s Library, Johannesburg, South Africa
1997 - Chasing Shadows - Gertrude Posel Gallery, Wits University, South Africa
1998 - Chasing Shadows - Nederland Foto Instituut (NFI), Rotterdam, Holland“
2003 - Chasing Shadows – Memling Museum, Brugge, Belgium
2004 - Rethinking Landscape - Centre of Photography D'Ille-De-France, Pontault-Combault, Paris, France
2006 - Invoice Iziko, South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2007 - Invoice Standard Bank Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2008 - Santu Mofokeng’s Landscapes, Warren Siebrits, Johannesburg, South Africa
2010 - Remaining Past, Minshar Art Institute, Tel Aviv, Israel
2011 - Chasing Shadows/Santu Mofokeng, thirty years of photographic essays, Jeu de Paume, Kunsthalle Bern.
2012 - Chasing Shadows/Santu Mofokeng, thirty years of photographic essays, Bergen Kunsthall, the Wits Art Museum, Johannesburg.
2016 - Santu Mofokeng. A Silent Solitude. Fondazione Fotografia Modena, Modena Foro Boario, Italy
1990 - Like Shifting Sand - Market Galleries, Johannesburg, South Africa
1995 - Distorting Mirror/Townships Imagined - Worker´s Library, Johannesburg, South Africa
1997 - Chasing Shadows - Gertrude Posel Gallery, Wits University, South Africa
1998 - Chasing Shadows - Nederland Foto Instituut (NFI), Rotterdam, Holland“
2003 - Chasing Shadows – Memling Museum, Brugge, Belgium
2004 - Rethinking Landscape - Centre of Photography D'Ille-De-France, Pontault-Combault, Paris, France
2006 - Invoice Iziko, South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2007 - Invoice Standard Bank Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2008 - Santu Mofokeng’s Landscapes, Warren Siebrits, Johannesburg, South Africa
2010 - Remaining Past, Minshar Art Institute, Tel Aviv, Israel
2011 - Chasing Shadows/Santu Mofokeng, thirty years of photographic essays, Jeu de Paume, Kunsthalle Bern.
2012 - Chasing Shadows/Santu Mofokeng, thirty years of photographic essays, Bergen Kunsthall, the Wits Art Museum, Johannesburg.
2016 - Santu Mofokeng. A Silent Solitude. Fondazione Fotografia Modena, Modena Foro Boario, Italy
Awards
1990 - AA Vita Award Nomination for Like Shifting Sand, South Africa
1991 - Ernest Cole Scholarship to study ICP, New York, USA
1992 - 1st Mother Jones Award for Africa
1998 - Künstlerhaus Worpswede Fellowship, Germany
1999 - Contre Jour Residency, Marseille, France
1999 - DAAD Fellowship, Worpswede, Germany
2001 - DAAD Fellowship, Belin, Germany
2007 - Ruth First Fellowship, South Africa
2009 - Prince Claus Lauriat, Netherlands
(selection
1991 - Ernest Cole Scholarship to study ICP, New York, USA
1992 - 1st Mother Jones Award for Africa
1998 - Künstlerhaus Worpswede Fellowship, Germany
1999 - Contre Jour Residency, Marseille, France
1999 - DAAD Fellowship, Worpswede, Germany
2001 - DAAD Fellowship, Belin, Germany
2007 - Ruth First Fellowship, South Africa
2009 - Prince Claus Lauriat, Netherlands
(selection
