First Published in
Soweto, a new photographic essay by Jodi Bieber, captures the essence of Soweto, the heartbeat of South Africa and redefines outdated ideas about this township.
Published by Jacana, Bieber’s collection of photographs celebrate the diversity, dynamism, character and magic of Soweto. It’s a slice-of-life collection, but it’s also offers an academic-like study of the lives, loves and losses of the South Western Township’s people.
In the collective consciousness Soweto is a place of contradictions. It’s a space of resistance and of freedom, of rich and of poor, and of triumph and of despair. Bieber’s photographs capture this tension while highlighting all there is to praise.
The energy and cosmopolitan nature of Soweto, and the way in which it constantly reinvents itself as an urban space epitomises the Rainbow Nation ideal.
Dedicated to the people of Soweto, the coffee-table must-have will make past and present Soweto residents proud, while providing a sweet insight into Soweto and all its nuances for everybody else.