George
Mahashe was born in Ga-kgapane in the Bolobedu region in 1982, he read
photography at T.U.T and obtained a B-tech degree with 2 distinctions. In 2005
he worked as an assistant lecturer at T.U.T assisting the head lecture. In 2006
he worked as a 2nd level tutor at the Alf Khumalo museum's photography school
in Soweto. During his studies he worked as an assistant to an editorial
photographer working for all the major magazines in S.A. 2001-2004. In 2005 he
founded the company Visual Uprising communication which does research and
shoots commercial projects to fund personal artistic projects such as the
disposable camera series, Holga series and the now solo exhibition "Gae
Lebowa".
Professionally
he worked as a freelance photographer for Glamour mechanics and Red Hot Ops
creative agencies between 2004 and 2008 working for numerous advertising
agencies and all the major magazines in JHB and CPT. His work has been
published in numerous international magazines.
Between
2008 and 2009 he worked on the research and shot for his now circulating 50
piece solo exhibition “Gae Lebowa” which is showing internationally and locally
in 2010.
During
the 2010 world cup (May-July) he worked on a British commissioned documentary
on the world cup, as a cinematographer and assistant director (worked on the
new generation Canon digital SLR still camera with an advanced video
function) Currently the
photographer is working on a video documentary project following the Lobedu
weekend beer drinks. He is a post grad occasional student at Wits University
studying “South African Ethnography” in preparation for academic work in the
ethnographic, photographic archive field.
He is busy with the research for the production of a catalogue for his
current exhibition “Gae Lebowa”.
Exhibition history
The
artist has been part of countless group exhibitions in South Africa and
internationally. see current exhibition list for 2010
2001
1. First year annual group exhibition, Centurion library 2. Kodak Optical illusions exhibition
2001, Grahams town, my images were reviewed in festival’s daily post
2002
1. Technikon Pretoria annual group
exhibition, Centurion library 2. South African national higher
education Art faculty and south African embassy exhibition Budapest
(Hungary) accompanied the exhibition and attended Cultural/academic
exchange with the University of Arts and crafts Hungary, also toured the
Victorian Albert museum in London as part of the trip
2003
1.
African woman, a portrait piece on African woman today, in
collaboration with Sun Goddess. Showed at the Sanlam fashion week JHB
2.
Technikon Pretoria annual group exhibition, Centurion
library.
2004 1. PIEA
international photography awards. Exhibitor of Traveling exhibition, Asia,
Americas and Europe/Africa regions
2. Curator of the
Tshwane University of Technology group exhibition “Diversity And Unity” for the
Afro vibes festival held In Amsterdam,
3. Tshwane
University of Technology B-tech Group exhibition. Exhibited body of work called
“meet the other half”, Pretoria state theater gallery PTA(B-Tech qualifying
exhibition in conjunction with qualifying paper titled “The usage and effects
of photography on the human condition”)
2006
1. Cida City campus
Innovation town exhibition.
Principal exhibitor, Cida City campus JHB
2. Disposable camera
series published in Y2Y book June
2006- group project. Funded by NAC Published by George Harlet with Wits
university press
2007
1. Innovation town permanent exhibition Sci-bono center 04/10/2007
2. 3C-Committee and Critics Choice at the AVA, 30 July- 17 August 2007
3. Gae Lebowa, a six piece photo essay published in Brand magazine
July/august 2007
4. Sasol New Signature exhibition. got a merit award(3rd
place). August 2007
5. Contemporary visions of southern Africa Pretoria art museum, group
exhibition 3/11/07
2008
1. “Faces” group exhibition at resolution gallery 05/03/08
2. collaboration with Athi-patra Ruga called Hoochie Brilesque published
in One small seed. Works exhibited under Athi-patra Ruga’s name in 4 European
countries.
