MPUMELELO BUTHELEZI

(b. 1994 Johannesburg, South Africa)

Mpumelelo Buthelezi is a South African photographer based in Johannesburg. Buthelezi’s work finds itself at the intersection between documentation, storytelling and activism. He completed his Photojournalism and Documentary Photography certification at the Market Photo Workshop (Johannesburg) in 2017. In his practice, Buthelezi’s work explores the themes of social activism and religion as well as the ways that people sustain themselves, as in the case of waste pickers.

Buthelezi was the 11th recipient of the Cassirer Welz Award (2021), which included an artist residency and a solo exhibition at Bag Factory in Johannesburg. He received the 2nd Heather B. Mattera photography scholarship to study in New York (2022). In 2021, Buthelezi was awarded the best photographer of the year at the North-West Media Awards. He was part of the TEXT ME curatorial programme of the Media Arts Festival in Leeuwarden, Netherlands (2022). Buthelezi has been on an artist residency with Sir Prof Zanele Muholi and Muholi Productions in KwaZulu-Natal, and also participated in Wendy Network’s virtual residency, Arts Unchained (2021). 

His work has been exhibited at the Kampala Photo Biennale in Uganda (2021, 2022); Transitions Rotterdam Foto Festival in the Netherlands (2019); Foto Schiedam Festival in the Netherlands (2019). His first solo exhibition took place at Wetilt Gallery in Italy (2019), followed by a solo at CULTVR LAB in Wales (2022). Buthelezi went on to exhibit his photographs at the Social Art Award in Germany 2019, and was the 2nd prize winner for Nikon Yellow competition in 2018. 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024

Ukuzihlukanisa, Cubicle Series, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2023

The Raw Lifestyle, Artsy Online Exclusive, Daor Contemporary, Cape Town, South Africa

2022

Ukuzihlukanisa, Cassirer Welz Award exhibition, Bag Factory, Johannesburg, South Africa

E'PLAZINI: A waste collector’s home, Alliance Francaise, Soweto, South Africa; CULTVR Lab Catalyst 360, online exhibition, Wales, UK

2019

WeTilt Gallery, Italy

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024

Investec Cape Town Art Fair, with Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

2023

Investec Cape Town Art Fair, with Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Emergent group exhibition, The Gallery Art Bar, Johannesburg, South Africa

Winter, Everard Read Cape Town, South Africa

Reflections, Bag Factory Artists Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa

2022

AtWork, Moleskine Foundation in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa

Winter, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa

Living Legacy, Market Photo Workshop, Johannesburg, South Africa

Is this Hope? Kato Wong Gallery, London, UK

2021

Familiar Strangers, online exhibition, Vacant Museum

2020

TAF Paper, Turbine Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa

Person & the Otherness of Nature, online exhibition, Pragmata Collective

2019

Urban Gaze, The Atrium, Johannesburg, South Africa

AWARDS/RESIDENCIES

2023

Young Contemporaries Bootcamp Artist Residency with Rele Gallery & Rele Arts Foundation,  Nigeria

Top 20 Shortlisted Royal Society London Awards

2022

Social Impact Award Winner

2021

Cassirer Welz Award Finalist

Best Photographer (North West Media Awards)

Top 25 artist recognition for the Abadali Arts Projects

2020

Johannesburg Arts Council Certificate of Recognition

2019

Top 100 Finalist of Thami Mnyele Fine Arts

Standard Bank Journalism Awards Finalist

Social Art Award 

2018

Nikon Yellow Photo Competition 2nd Prize winner

Shortlisted Finalist for Vodacom Journalism Awards