In July 2018 we had the pleasure of visiting ntate Ramakatane at his home in Botha Bothe with fellow researcher and writer, Matšeliso Motšoane and her partner. At this point, the visit was merely to satisfy our curiosity about his photographic work and what it meant for the documented history of Basotho as a people, as seen by a fellow native around the time the country gained independence (1966) and the 20 years that followed. As it turns out, Ntate Ramakatane had also captured the interest of Paul Weinberg, the curator of the Photo Legacy Project. Inevitably, our paths crossed and Paul invited us to join his team of archivists who were tasked with digitising ntate Ramakatane’s work on a grant issued by UCLA.
Once the archival work was completed, Paul reached out once again, this time with an invitation to compile a photo book with selections from the archive. this process was completed in 2022. However, it was important to us that the publication could only be made public once we had the blessing of ntate Ramakatane’s children, especially after his passing in December 2021. We have finally met all the conditions they had for publication and are therefore delighted to share this work with you to download for free.
Synopsis
Ramakatane’s photography positions him on the opposite side of the colonial camera. Unlike a foreign voyeur, he himself is not unlike his subjects. There is an awareness and sensitivity about his representation of his subjects which is evidenced from a collection of portraits of himself included in the archive. Furthermore, the gap between him and his subjects is narrowed by their common sense of familiarity. He treats his subjects with humility and respect, and his clients see themselves in him. His portraits are characteristic of his own demeanour that portrays a self-consciousness not altogether different from that of the average client who would have walked through the doors of his studio.
Ba re e ne re | Arts Education 