Justin Keene, a documentary photographer based between the UK and South Africa. His current body of work examines family archives and their connection to South Africa’s mining industry — exploring the dominant industry’s effect on both social and physical landscapes in the country.

Photos Justin Keene

Keene’s work reviews formal structures of image-making after a history of documentary realism in South Africa. This Cape Town based project, It Must Be Built From Ashes, challenges the mainstream media portrayal of Mitchells Plain and the Cape Flats, creating an intimate social dialogue with communities and their youth to explore interpretations of home and a sense of belonging.

Mitchells Plain, on the outskirts of Cape Town, is a purpose-built relocation area that developed following forced removals from Cape Town’s inner-city during the country’s apartheid regime. The project evaluates the notion of citizenship and place-related identity — challenging theories of representation to create a renewed visual economy for the area and its people. Justin’s work aims to confront the ethics of viewership in South Africa by questioning our global presence in the production of a postcolony, whilst interpreting a sense of self in modern-day South Africa.

See more of Justins work at www.justinkeene.com

Realism beauty captures intricate details by creating a sense of intimacy for viewers and invites an appreciation of delicate hues or textures of makeup. Macro photography focuses on individual features while the story celebrates the raw beauty of unretouched skin, embracing imperfections as a testament to authenticity and honesty in makeup artistry.

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Let's build a sandcastle

Sand mining, once a symbol of time and nature's intricate work, has transformed into a stark reminder of humanity's unchecked greed. Through the lens of Jakub Stanek's photography, the relentless exploitation of this natural resource confronts us with the harsh reality of irreversible consequences. It's time to reconsider our priorities and strike a balance between human needs and planetary protection.

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Nothing to See Here

Ben Zank, a native of New York City, discovered his passion for photography at the age of 18 when he stumbled upon a Pentax ME Super in his grandmother's attic. Using his self-portraits as a means to express emotions where words fall short, Zank is poised to unveil his debut photo book, showcasing his distinct artistic vision.

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Queer the dancefloor

Over the past two decades, Northern Irish DJ CORMAC has steadily built a reputation as one of queer clubland’s most enduring and vital figures. Following the launch of his own imprint Polari Records, he’s recently released ‘Queerly Beloved’ – an essential new podcast series featuring always frank and often funny conversations exploring queerness, identity and music with an impressive line-up of fascinating guests.

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Me Entro El Garrion (I got the Sparrow)

Photographer and filmmaker Lorna Carmichael travelled to Cuba to document the impacts of the enduring US embargo. Upon her arrival, she discovered that local Cubans also yearn for a bygone era, prompting her to create the photo story 'I got a sparrow' to encapsulate these sentiments.

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Don’t sleep on Henry Rowley

Scroll through your ‘For You’ page for long enough and you’ll likely come across Henry Rowley (if you’re not already one of his 1.3 million followers), where the Leicester-born comedian posts his distinct sketches, impressions, and parodies, making fun of everything from Harry Potter to the Soho House wait staff. This year, however, Henry is bringing his first solo hour-long comedy show to the Edinburgh Fringe and to the stage in London. We get to know the man behind the internet’s favourite characters it loves to hate.

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I have nothing

With his ongoing series ‘I Have Nothing’, Lagos-based photographer Ebenezer Okike documents Nigeria's new generation, delving into emerging stereotypes and desires. The resulting images feel very personal and intimate, capturing details and scenes of daily life in Nigeria.

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Crystal Murray – The Beauty in Evolution

Crystal Murray has seen a lot in her young tenure: touring jazz clubs with her father, founding fashion collective Gucci Gang in Paris, producing music during the Pandemic, as well as releasing her voracious comeback single, ‘Payback’, this year. As we delve into conversation over Zoom, the Parisian artist clambers into the back of a taxi - traversing through her newly-accustomed life in London, a city cultivating her eclectic musical ambitions and greater dreams.

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Rouge One

A Bronze Age 3600-year-old red lipstick was recently discovered in the Jiroft region of Iran. The colour and texture were not too dissimilar from today’s lipstick’s combination of wax and pigments. This ancient cosmetic was found encased in a tube-like container.

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Dryland

The present humanitarian crisis in East Africa leaves many individuals displaced by the severe impact of climate change. Photographer Felicity McCabe visited Somaliland to document the ephemeral existence of the refugees and the distinctive architecture of their camps.

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It must be built from ashes

Justin Keene, a documentary photographer based between the UK and South Africa. His current body of work examines family archives and their connection to South Africa’s mining industry — exploring the dominant industry’s effect on both social and physical landscapes in the country.

READ NEXT

It must be built from ashes

Justin Keene, a documentary photographer based between the UK and South Africa. His current body of work examines family archives and their connection to South Africa’s mining industry — exploring the dominant industry’s effect on both social and physical landscapes in the country.

READ NEXT

Right back to normal

Black Eyed Dog