Bakashimika – Visual Storytelling in Southern Africa
Bakashimika International Photography Festival is a new festival celebrating the rich photographic community in Zambia and the southern African region. The festival provides a platform for emerging southern African photographers who tell innovative African stories through photography and lens-based art.
Patrick Chilaisha, Geoffrey Phiri, and Edith Chiliboy will discuss with Dr. Kerstin Hacker the current challenges Zambian photographers face and the opportunities the Bakashimika International Photography Festival will create for photographers and lens-based artists not only in Zambia but also in the wider southern African region.
They will discuss the importance of developing diverse visual narratives within the African continent and how Bakashimika can become a meeting place for local, regional and international audiences and industry experts to celebrate this so-far underrepresented community of photographers and lens-based artists.
- Duration: 50 minutes
Date
- 21 Feb 2025
Time
- 16:35 - 17:15
Labels
- Panel Discussion
Location
Speakers
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Kerstin HackerDr. Kerstin Hacker is a Cambridge-based photographer and academic renowned for her research in reshaping African visual narratives. Working collaboratively with emerging Zambian photographers, her “un-learning” process challenges colonial and stereotypical perspectives, fostering local visual self-governance. She holds BA and MA degrees from FAMU and has received awards like Germany's Female Photojournalist of the Year. Her career includes work with The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, and NGOs. Since 2008, she has taught at Anglia Ruskin University, promoting ethical, innovative practices in documentary photography.
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Geoffrey PhiriPainter Geoffrey Phiri is a celebrated Zambian artist known for his vibrant, block-colored figures and satirical reflections on social and political life. His work combines striking visuals with layered narratives, addressing both local and universal themes. Phiri has participated in international collaborations across Europe and Africa, enriching his artistic practice and fostering cultural exchange. A passionate advocate for Zambian art, he helped establish the National Visual Arts Council’s research archive and coordinated Art in Zambia. Phiri’s legacy includes inspiring future generations through mentorship and exhibitions worldwide.
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Patrick ChilaishaPatrick Kabunse Chilaisha a Zambian photographer and lens-based digital artist, who specialises in fine art photographic manipulations. His creative practice explores the nexus of self-expression and cultural identities. His work challenges historic narratives, explores current cultural understanding and invites to imagine alternative futures. Patrick was the first Zambian lens-based artist to be shortlisted for the Cynthia Zukas Young Artists Award in YEAR. He showed his work in the prestigious Zambian Chaminuka Gallery during the "Transition" Young Artists exhibition in YEAR. In 2020 he took part in the PhotoCovidZambia
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Edith ChiliboyEdith Chiliboy is a Zambian photographer known for her impactful work exploring identity and societal roles. She made history as the first photographer in the Chaminuka private collection and has exhibited at the Zambian National Museum and internationally. Her accolades include the Affects and Colonialism Web Lab Fellowship and collaborations with institutions like the Women’s History Museum. Chiliboy’s ongoing project, "Ukubuta," reflects on personal and cultural identity through imaginative storytelling, drawing on themes of childhood, gender, and societal interactions.
