Cape Town Photography Festival showcases powerful stories through images

Cape Town became a city of images this week as the Cape Town Photography Festival opened across multiple venues, bringing together exhibitions, talks, live experiences and workshops that celebrated photography’s power to tell stories.

Among the highlights was Uitsig at the Sanlam Art Gallery in Bellville, a landmark exhibition by Cape Town photographer Ashley Walters. Curated by Stefan Hundt, head of the Sanlam Art Gallery, the exhibition is described as an “extensive investigation into the notorious Cape Town suburb of Uitsig, next to Parow.”

Hundt said the work was both intimate and far-reaching.

“His photographs speak of his environment. Uitsig is just down the road from Sanlam, and it’s where many of the people who work here come from,” he explained.

“They tell the story of a community with an enormous amount of pride in where they live, its diversity of people, how they cope with difficult circumstances, and the crumbling infrastructure. These images capture often unspoken things, the kind of stories that only a photographer’s eye can reveal.”

Hundt added that this is what makes the exhibition so compelling. “Walters’ work goes beyond aesthetics. It speaks about how people live in their environment not in a superficial way, but in a way that makes you pause and consider the quiet strength of a community facing difficult circumstances,” he said. “That is the essence of photography at its best: it reveals what words alone cannot.”

For Walters, the exhibition is deeply personal. “A lot of the images are part of a large body of work that focus on everyday lives, homes and communities, a portrait of a place that carries rich heritage,” he said. “I wanted to create a photographic essay that not only reflects what is visible, but also what is often overlooked: the way people celebrate, how they prepare for milestones like matric balls, or simply how they come together around food. These small details are powerful markers of pride and resilience.”

The festival also paid tribute to legendary photographer Jürgen Schadeberg, whose work spanning more than 70 years includes iconic portraits of Nelson Mandela and images that chronicled South Africa’s cultural and political struggles. Schadeberg’s exhibition Looking In ran alongside Uitsig at Sanlam, creating a dialogue between South Africa’s past and present.

Visitors also had the opportunity to engage with internationally acclaimed photographer Roger Ballen, whose psychologically charged images have earned global recognition. His talk and book signing at Spin Street drew large audiences eager to learn from one of contemporary photography’s most provocative voices.

Supported in partnership with Leica’s centenary celebrations, the festival also highlighted how world-class photography continues to connect communities, preserve cultural memory and inspire new generations.

Hundt said the festival was a vital moment for Cape Town’s artistic landscape. “You will get to see never-before-seen images. Nowadays everyone thinks they are photographers, but it’s not that easy. These works are carefully curated you need a particular eye, and the ability to tell a story through your capture. That is what makes exhibitions like this so important. They remind us of the value of careful observation, patience and craft,” he said.

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus