South African photographer Justin Dingwall and lawyer and model Thando Hopa have recently collaborated on a new project featuring photographic portraits that address albinism as a key theme. Both the model and the photographer have created a series of poignant images that invite audiences to reflect on – and rethink – attitudes towards beauty, skin colour, corporeality and albinism as a condition caused by a lack of melanin in the skin that can affect people from every ethnic background.

In addition to the presentation of these striking visual images, Dingwall and Hopa aim to inspire a public debate about the historical taboos that surround the subject of albinism, as well as draw attention to the devastating levels of discrimination, threats of physical violence and actual bodily harm many people with albinism have experienced throughout history because of the superstitions that persist in some societies around the world.
Dingwall and Hopa’s series of photographs taken between 2014 and 2015 will be displayed in a new solo exhibition – titled, “ALBUS” (27 November 2016 – 13 January 2017) at the ArtCo Gallery, Aachen, Germany.
Continue reading “ALBUS – an exhibition of photography by Justin Dingwall and Thando Hopa (ArtCo Gallery, Germany)”