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Resting in Unfamiliar Places
Siphosethu Sanelisiwe Sikhosana
Series description

This series of pinhole photographs was taken for my Fine Arts degree in 2023. It speaks of the struggles and changes I faced in terms of my identity when leaving childhood and becoming a young adult. The series reflects my confusion with various aspects of myself, such as my faith, sexuality and place in the world, and my later acceptance of who I am.

Biography

Sethu Sikhosana (b. 2004 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a Fine Arts student studying at the University of Pretoria. Her works explore a variety of themes, however, she often centres on identity, and how she navigates life as a black queer woman. Her goal in creating art is not only to allow herself self-expression, but also to inspire and represent individuals like her.

Resting in unfamiliar places (I)
Resting in unfamiliar places (I)
This single pinhole photograph is composed of five negatives that together reflect both the confusion and acceptance of my identity.
Resting in unfamiliar places (V)
Resting in unfamiliar places (V)
The final photograph of the series shows me gazing contently at the pinhole camera, portraying my overall acceptance of who I am, and of the changes that will surely come as I grow.
Resting in unfamiliar places (II)
Resting in unfamiliar places (II)
This pinhole photograph is a double-exposure. I am reading a Bible on the right, but have it down on the left, showing my changing faith as I got older.
Resting in unfamiliar places (III)
Resting in unfamiliar places (III)
This double-exposure photograph evokes the disjointedness that I felt at a point in my life when I learnt about aspects of my identity.
Resting in unfamiliar places (IV)
Resting in unfamiliar places (IV)
A side-by-side view of a negative and positive image of the same photograph, representing a new sense of clarity.