Kimberly Isibusiso Mduli: South African multidisciplinary artist turning photography into acts of care, memory, and devotion

Kimberly Isibusiso Mduli is a multidisciplinary visual artist from Whittlesea (eSada) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, now based in Johannesburg. She works across photography, collage, mixed media, sculpture, and sound. Her practice explores intimacy, grief, care, spirituality, memory, and belonging, treating the body as both witness and archive.

Her images draw on domestic spaces, landscape, light, and material culture. They move between documentary and performance, examining what it means to truly see, and be seen by, another person.

Mduli's work has featured in Cartography of Dreams at the JSE, the VSCO Online Exhibition, and the Tombe Online Exhibition (2024). In 2025, she was named a BNAP Top 11 Finalist at the National Arts Festival.

How did you get started in photography?

It's funny, because writing was my first love, followed by painting, then sculpture and production. Photography came much later, although in many ways it had always been part of my life.

My family has photo albums dating back to the 1950s. My grandmother is a bit of a hoarder, and growing up, I spent hours looking through black-and-white and sepia-toned photographs. I was fascinated by the lives they held, by the feeling that a single image could preserve love, memory, and a moment that would otherwise disappear. I also watched a lot of films as a child, and I think cinema taught me to pay attention to light, colour, and the emotional weight of an image.

My uncle was the photographer in the family. He had his own darkroom and photographed everything and everyone, especially me. Looking back, I think what stayed with me was the intimacy of being seen and cared for through the act of making them, more than the photographs themselves. Photography became synonymous with love, preservation, and witnessing.

Although I only began making photographs myself about two years ago and using them for collage work, I wasn't consistent at first. In 2021, I met my best friend, who completely changed my understanding of photography as an art form. Like many people, I had once believed it was somehow less significant than painting or other visual arts. He challenged that assumption and helped me see photography's immense creative and emotional possibilities.

I've now been photographing consistently for the past eight months, dedicating myself to research, experimentation, and building a body of work. More than anything, I hope to contribute to a broader understanding of photography as a deeply expressive artistic medium, one capable of creating work that is every bit as powerful, moving, and beautiful as a painting. I've never wanted anything more.

How would you describe yourself?

I'm deeply curious about people and the world around me. I'm a bit of a child at heart. I love laughing, dancing, and finding joy in the small, ordinary moments. I gravitate towards anything that makes me feel alive, whether that's good food, music, meaningful conversations, being surrounded by nature, or spending hours making art.

A fun fact about me is that before moving to Johannesburg, I studied to become a chef for a year after completing my studies. Food has always been incredibly important to me. It's nourishment, care, love, memory, and one of the most intimate ways we connect with one another.

Looking back, I think that perspective naturally found its way into my artistic practice. Whether I'm preparing a meal or making a photograph, I'm thinking about generosity, comfort, and creating spaces where people feel seen.

Above all, I hope I never lose my sense of wonder. I want to keep making work that helps me understand myself, other people, and the world a little more deeply.

What are the main themes that inspire your photography?

I'm interested in the quiet moments that often go unnoticed, the ways people love one another, how we carry loss, and the rituals that bring us comfort.

For me, photography is a way of asking questions. I'm constantly wondering what it means to truly witness another person, or even ourselves. Can a photograph become an act of care? Can it preserve not only a memory, but a feeling? Those are the questions that guide my practice.

I hope I create space for people to slow down and recognise parts of themselves in the work. I don't always want to tell viewers what to think. Instead, I want them to feel something, to remember someone they love, to reflect on their own experiences of intimacy or loss, or to simply sit with an image long enough for it to reveal something new. If someone walks away feeling seen, comforted, or more connected to themselves or another person, then I feel the work has done what it was meant to do.

What moment in your career are you most proud of?

My commitment to showing up is what I'm most proud of. I've been creating consistently for the past 15 weeks, and that consistency has become one of my greatest achievements. It has proven to me that this is something I both enjoy and am deeply devoted to.

Devotion is a word I return to often. Having spent much of my life in survival mode, I've learned that you have to believe in something. You have to keep returning to it, even when you falter, even when things feel uncertain, and especially when you want to quit. Photography has become a home for me. Every photograph is an act of faith that if I keep showing up, the work will reveal itself.

Another milestone that still makes me smile is making my first photography sales internationally before making one in South Africa. Knowing that my work found its first collectors in Brazil was surreal. I remember thinking, "Yay! We're international, baby!" It reminded me that art has a way of travelling beyond borders and connecting people who may never share the same language or place.

I'm still at the beginning of my journey, but those moments have taught me that meaningful growth doesn't always happen in big leaps. Sometimes it happens quietly, through daily practice, unwavering devotion, and trusting that, slowly but surely, kuyahlangana.

What is the biggest challenge you've faced as a photographer?

Believing that I could call myself a photographer has been one of the hardest things. I work primarily with a cellphone, and for a long time I felt that made my work somehow less legitimate. I questioned whether my images were good enough and whether I deserved to be in the spaces I was entering.

There were also the practical challenges that come with starting out: people requesting invoices and then disappearing, cancelled shoots, struggling to find collaborators, and hearing feedback that was difficult to shake. One comment from a panellist, who said my photography "wasn't anything new," stayed with me for a long time. It made me question my voice and whether I should continue, so I focused on collage and put photography to the side for a while.

Over time, I realised that confidence is something you build from the ground up. Every shoot, every rejection, every photograph, and every small victory became another brick in that foundation. I stopped waiting to feel like a photographer and focused on doing the work.

What type of photography do you specialise in?

Portrait and conceptual photography, using the medium to explore intimacy, care, memory, spirituality, grief, and belonging. While people are often at the centre of my work, I'm most interested in what they carry: their emotions, relationships, histories, and the quiet moments that reveal something deeper about being human.

What is your primary commercial niche?

Currently, my primary focus is fine art photography.

As my practice continues to grow, I'm excited to expand into commercial photography, particularly within the jewellery, fragrance, spirits, and luxury lifestyle industries. I'm drawn to photographing objects that engage the senses: things that are worn, tasted, touched, or treasured. I see this as a natural extension of my artistic practice, which has always been rooted in beauty, atmosphere, and emotional connection.

While I'm still building this side of my portfolio, I'm looking forward to collaborating with brands that value thoughtful storytelling and carefully crafted imagery.

What is your unique technical or visual approach?

It almost always begins with a question rather than a finished idea. I'm interested in using photography as a way of thinking, so I often don't know the answer until I've made the image. The camera becomes a tool for inquiry.

Much of my process happens in post-production. This is where I refine the atmosphere of an image, adjusting colour and tone until it reflects the feeling I am drawn to. Editing is an extension of the creative process, and it's where many of my photographs truly come to life.

At the moment, I'm also challenging myself to become more intentional in how I plan my work.

Which global brands, photographers, or industries do you feel your work aligns with most?

It's a tricky question, because I'm constantly evolving, but I would say Bombay Gin, as it has worked with really creative artists. I know I would do something crazy for Johnnie Walker, Hennessy, Loewe, Moët Chandon, Byredo, and Le Labo, as they all create worlds around their products rather than simply advertising them.

Within South Africa and the African continent, I deeply admire Tony Gum, Sarfo Emmanuel Annor, Aart Verrips, Adebisi Ayomide, Adaeze Okaro, Usman Umar, John Baloyi, Travys Owen, and Ndebele Superhero, whose work demonstrates how photography can be both deeply personal and culturally significant.

How's the photography and art space in South Africa?

I'm originally from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and while the province has a rich cultural history and has produced incredible artists, access to opportunities, institutions, and creative networks can be limited. For me, leaving home was about giving myself the opportunity to grow.

Moving from Cape Town to Johannesburg exposed me to a much larger and more active art ecosystem. There are more galleries, residencies, exhibitions, mentors, and opportunities to build relationships with other artists. It challenged me to take my practice more seriously and helped me understand what was possible.

More broadly, I think South Africa's photography and contemporary art scene has become increasingly dynamic in recent years. There is a growing recognition of photography as a powerful artistic medium, with more photographers exploring personal narratives, identity, memory, and social history in nuanced and experimental ways. It's exciting to be part of a generation contributing to that conversation.

At the same time, I know that my journey won't stop here. To become the artist I aspire to be, I feel I need to experience more of the world, to encounter different landscapes, cultures, museums, and ways of thinking.

What is one professional standard you never compromise on?

Intentionality. I want every image to have purpose.

I also value respect and care throughout the creative process. I believe the best photographs are made when people feel comfortable, seen, and safe. Building trust with the people I photograph is just as important to me as creating a beautiful image.

Finally, I never compromise on my willingness to learn. I'm still early in my career, and I approach every project with humility, curiosity, and a desire to improve. For me, professionalism is about showing up prepared, staying open to growth, and giving my best to every piece of work.

What do you think of the 54Ruum platform?

54Ruum is an important platform for African photographers and visual artists because it creates visibility for voices and perspectives that deserve to be seen on a global stage.

Platforms like this are essential because they showcase talent, foster a sense of community, encourage dialogue, and celebrate the diversity of visual storytelling across the continent.