BAMBATHA JONES

Below the Breadline is an unfinished self-portrait series I photographed two years ago. I had no intentions of sharing these but the current unrest in the country has made me think about this work again.

The series was a medium to interrogate the imposed racial harmony created by the concept of the ‘Rainbow Nation’. While the democratic system has delivered political freedom for black South Africans, the economic legacy of apartheid still continues. Each portrait is unique in the sense that it highlights basic products that are consumed daily in black households. It also details my complicated experience as a ‘born free’.

Poverty, inequality and unemployment amongst black South Africans has ended up silencing trauma.

The products in each image were inspired by product photography on supermarket catalogues. Which are predominantly white-owned and continue to make a fortune off of black cheap labour.

It’s ironic to see supermarkets being looted for food today. This is an idea I believe didn’t work out thoroughly but I felt compelled to share.

God bless South Africa during these tough times