Global Village

Other Stories Of Us

Words & Photography: Justice Mukheli

The meaning of my work changes and shifts slightly, or it gets clearer as I grow in it. The importance of telling our own stories has always been at the core of what I was drawn to from the early days of my journey. But as I grow and progress in this path, I found that the most pressing need is for us as Black people to start telling other stories about us that haven’t had the chance to be told or explored. Because I grew up in a country that was and is still very politically charged because of the injustice to the people, the narrative was mostly political. I say this without making small of the political narratives because they are important and have led us to some “freedom”, and this freedom is what today grants us the opportunity to explore our other parts that are complex and dynamic. So, I am now exploring themes like; masculinity, vulnerability, sexuality….what it would look like if it wasn’t predetermined by our society, and more.

Justice Mukheli is a South African artist, filmmaker, who creates commercials and fine art films. Mukheli is known for creating “intellectually and emotionally dense Art and films” that center on the authentic African experience and with the continued intention to dismantle the negative narrative of Africa and Africans in the World.

His clients included, Fader Magazine, Diesel, Levis, Wallpaper*, Art Comes First, Google, Jeep, British American Tobacco, Nikon, South African Tourism, Colgate, Adidas, Lotto, Old Mutual, Simon & Marry.