Lebohang Kganye, an innovative visual artist and photographer based in Johannesburg, has garnered international recognition for her unique approach to storytelling and memory. Her diverse artistic practice seamlessly blends photography with elements of sculpture, performance, installation, and film, resulting in a captivating tapestry that reimagines both personal and collective histories. While her work delves into South Africa’s historical and cultural landscape, she also explores universal themes of identity and belonging.
Kganye’s artistic journey commenced at the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg, where she first discovered the power of photography in 2009. After completing the Advanced Photography Programme in 2011, she laid the foundation for what would become a successful career. Currently pursuing her Master’s in Fine Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Kganye continues to broaden her artistic repertoire and deepen her theoretical understanding of her practice.
While photography remains a central component of Kganye’s work, she extends her interest in materiality beyond traditional boundaries. Her art often merges photographic elements with sculptural and performative practices, resulting in immersive installations that challenge the conventional limits of the medium. Kganye’s approach is characterized by a seamless integration of the theatrical and the moving image, enabling her to explore themes of memory and history in new and evocative ways.
At the heart of Kganye’s work is her exploration of fictional histories through archival material. She adeptly combines elusive characters with “real” figures, constructing narratives that blur the lines between past and present, reality and imagination. Drawing on her own family archives, Kganye reconstructs and re-enacts personal stories of home, refuge, and identity. Her practice is deeply rooted in South Africa’s apartheid history while also engaging with broader oral traditions and memory practices.
Kganye’s art serves as a compelling commentary on the nature of history and identity, utilizing narrative to challenge and reinterpret these concepts. Her work not only reflects a distinctly South African experience but also resonates with universal themes of home and belonging, making it both locally grounded and globally relevant.
Lebohang Kganye’s art represents a dynamic fusion of photography, performance, and installation that defies conventional boundaries. Through her innovative use of archives and narrative, she crafts captivating stories that explore themes of memory, identity, and history. Continuously gaining international acclaim, Kganye remains at the forefront of contemporary art, reshaping our perceptions and engagement with the past.
