Artist Statement

Hazel Mphande

What I love about art, in general, is its means of connection between the artwork and the viewer. I’m a big believer that as artists we should always leave space for the viewer to draw their own conclusions about how your work makes them feel. That engagement is rewarding.

It took me a while to get here where I’m feeling confident about my work. Photography was all over the place for the longest time because I wanted to explore every genre of photography. Now I’m focused on a single idea (portraiture) which is both thrilling and a relief.

My work focuses on the portrayal of one’s body, identity and the abstract representation of nature and is characterised by the use of long shutter speed and double exposure, using blur to create a sense of movement and transition. These photographs embody a temporal wane of fleeting experiences, memory, growth and decay and begins to mimic the shape shifting apparitions of recollection and reminiscence of transition.

HAZEL MPHANDE