David Goldblatt, Santu Mofokeng

Opening: Saturday, 31 January 2026

Zander Galerie is pleased to announce an exhibition of photographs by Santu Mofokeng and David Goldblatt, bringing together two of the most important and influential artists in South African photography.

Santu Mofokeng (1956–2020) developed a photographic practice that moved beyond conventional documentary categories. Closely associated with the Afrapix collective from 1985 and shaped in dialogue with David Goldblatt, his work combines visual observation with critical reflection and writing. Mofokeng’s photographs address history and land, memory and spirituality, and the lived aftermath of apartheid, forming an œuvre that is both intellectually rigorous and marked by restraint, attentiveness, and poetic nuance. He played a decisive role in redefining what documentary photography could mean in South Africa.

Shown alongside Mofokeng’s work are photographs by David Goldblatt from his seminal series The Transported (1983–1986). David Goldblatt (1930–2018) established a photographic language of exceptional clarity and ethical seriousness, examining social structures, power, and inequality through close attention to everyday life. The Transported, created during the later years of apartheid, focuses on Black South Africans commuting long distances by bus between townships and places of work, and is widely regarded as one of his key early series.

Together, the works of Mofokeng and Goldblatt underscore their lasting importance for South African art and for the international perception of South Africa. Through different generational positions and distinct visual sensibilities, both artists have shaped how South African realities have been seen and discussed worldwide, contributing decisively to the international recognition of South African photography as a major artistic and cultural force.