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KHOMO E KOPANYA LICHABA
A SOLO EXHIBITION BY KABELO MOKOENA 2019 TIERNEY FELLOW
2021
‘Kgomo e Kopanya Ditjhaba’ began as an investigation into urban farming in Soweto and unfolded into an unintended journey of self-discovery for photographer, Kabelo Mokoena. First encountered as an unusual scene at an intersection in Orlando West, the sight of livestock in the city, compelled him to spend two-years with local farmers and herdsmen who imparted their understanding of rearing and trading of livestock as an inter-generational profession and family legacy. South African journalist, Pontso Pilane layers Mokoena’s images with her reflections on this journey and the experiences of his collaborators who point to the social complexities of urban farming in the city of Johannesburg. ‘Kgomo e Kopanya Ditjhaba’ is a Sesotho proverb, meaning ‘a cow unites nations’ and reaffirms the significance of livestock to African cultures and to Mokoena’s journey into becoming a father and a photographer.