By BRUCE DENNILL
The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP), in partnership with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), recently presented the Top 10 emerging artists selected for the 2025/26 Tlhagella Incubation Programme. This cohort’s work will be part of the exhibition Between Here and Elsewhere.
Hulisani Khorombi is one of the emerging artists.
What sort of training have you received and how important do you think it is to seek training (in terms of learning first principles and refining technique)?
I am a self-taught photographer who learned primarily through experimentation and by working alongside other photographers. Over time, I have supplemented this with short online courses that helped me understand foundational elements such as lighting, framing and composition. Because I do not rely heavily on editing as a major element of my work, post‑production is not my main focus; I am drawn instead to the honesty of images that remain close to how they were captured in the moment. I work mostly with natural light, and it has become central to how I build mood and texture in my photographs. Still, I think learning technical skills is crucial: knowing the “rules” gives you something solid to push against, and breaking those rules with intention can make for far more interesting and meaningful images.
What is your principal medium, and why did you choose it?
Photography is my principal medium. I turned to it during the COVID‑19 lockdown in 2020, when we were confined to our homes and everyday life suddenly became smaller and quieter. I started taking pictures on my phone, mostly as a way to pay attention to small details and moments inside that restricted world. By the following year, I bought my first camera, and what began as a way to pass time during lockdown slowly evolved into a serious and deeply personal artistic practice.
Describe the techniques you use most? How complicated are your methods, and why is each step necessary?
The complexity of my process depends on the vision I have for the final image. Because self‑portraiture is at the centre of my work, I am responsible for every aspect of the image: concept, styling, makeup, lighting, set or location, and the emotional tone I want to hold in my body. I usually begin with a loose visual idea or feeling that I want to translate into an image, and then I build the details around that, such as choosing colours, textures, and props that support the story I’m trying to tell. On a practical level, this means blocking out anywhere from half a day to a full day to experiment, adjust, and reshoot until the image feels honest. Some shoots are simple and intuitive; others require far more planning and patience. Either way, each step is necessary to make the final image feel intentional rather than accidental.
What technological tools do you use in your work?
My primary hardware is a Canon EOS 250D, and I often shoot with a 50mm lens, which allows me to stay close and intimate, especially in self‑portraiture. In terms of software, I work with a light touch, using tools such as Photoshop and Snapseed mostly for basic adjustments. I focus on gentle edits that enhance what is already present in the image, rather than transforming it into something unrecognisable.
Who is the single other artist whose style you most admire, and why?
Zanele Muholi is the artist whose work I most deeply admire. Their photography has always moved me; it holds a powerful mix of vulnerability, dignity, and political presence that I find compelling. The way they centre Black queer and trans bodies with such tenderness and strength has shaped how I think about visibility, self‑representation, and the politics of who is allowed to be seen, and how.
Galleries and other traditional means are only one way of marketing art. What do you believe are the most important other routes, and what is the most important insight you have gained in that area in your career?
For me, some of the most important routes beyond traditional galleries are online platforms, community‑based spaces, and everyday collaborations. Social media has become a powerful way to share work directly with the people I am speaking to, which is fat Black women, queer communities and those who see themselves reflected in my images. Although I have not yet participated in any pop‑ups and collaborations with writers, designers, and activists, these are also spaces where the work can live closer to real life rather than only in traditional spaces. The most important insight I have gained is that building a community around your work matters more than chasing visibility for its own sake: when the right people find your images and feel seen by them, the work travels further and more honestly.
Why do you create? What are your stated goals in producing art?
I create for fat Black women who are still learning to find and hold beauty within themselves in a world that constantly tells us we are too much or not enough. My work is a quiet refusal of narrow, violent beauty standards that are curated to make us doubt our own bodies. Through self‑portraiture, I aim to build a visual archive of softness, joy, and complexity that is often denied to us. My goal is for someone who looks like me to encounter my work and feel, even for a moment, that their body and or round face is not a problem to be fixed, but a story worth honouring.