PERSONAL HISTORY
George Mahashe, was born in Ga-kgapane in limpopo in 1982 and started photography by being an assistant to the local roaming photographer, when I got to grade 8 I got a camera of my own and well the rest is history, my interest with the professional photography developed when I became addicted to a men’s magazine called direction (which then developed into FHM) and the love for exotic looking women. Today my photography is more concerned with society particularly in the cultural social war between western and African concerns. I am currently based in JHB, carries a B-Tech degree in Photography obtained at T.U.T. during the period of 2000 and 2004. During the period of 2001 to 2004 I also worked as an assistant photographer for a magazine photographer. In 2004 while busy with my final year I was awarded a departmental bursary (the first for the department) and given a junior lecturing post assisting the head lecture, this included my own lecturing class a week. In 2005 I joined Glamour Mechanics as a freelancer, propelling myself into the mainstream magazine photography, during this period I joined the Alf Khumalo Museum as a second level tutor for the photography school attached to the Museum. Currently I am with Red Hot Ops as a freelance photographer, I also run Visual Uprising, a company founded to fund the research and execution of small photographic projects aimed at recognizing and developing photographic interest in S.A. my latest project is “gae lebowa” and it looks at life in the north, from a cultural documents perspective. A tribute to a great socio-cultural economy, which put the black man at a better place.
EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
First year annual exhibition, (2001- 2004),
Kodak Optical illusions exhibition 2001, Grahamstown, my images were reviewed in festival’s daily post,
South African national higher education Art faculty exhibition Budapest (Hungary) accompanied the exhibition,
African woman (fashion week 2003), a portrait piece on African woman today, in collaboration with Sun Goddess,
PIEA international photography awards, Exhibitor.
Curator of the Tswhane University of Technology exhibition “Diversity And Unity” for the Afro vibes festival held In Amsterdam, held September 2004
Cultural/academic exchange University of Arts and crafts Hungary (2002)
group exhibition “meet the other half” (2004).
Awarded the ACCA student photographer contract for S.A. and Tanzania (a portrait based advertising project done in collaboration with photography students in 20 countries)
Cida city campus innovation town exhibition 03/06/2007 principal exhibitor
3C-Committee and Critics Choice at the AVA, 30 July- 17 August 2007.
Sasol New Signature exhibition, got a merit award August 2007
Innovation town permanent exhibition Sci-Bono center. 04/10/2007
