On the Street in Johannesburg

Nontsikelelo Veleko, Cindy and Nkuli, from the Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2003–04

Nontsikelelo Veleko, Thato, from the Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2003–04

Nontsikelelo Veleko, Hloni, from the Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2003–04

Nontsikelelo Veleko, Nonkululeko, from the Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2003–04

Nontsikelelo Veleko, Thulani, from the Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2003–04

Nontsikelelo Veleko’s series Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder utilizes familiar elements of a style of photography popularized by photographers and bloggers like Shoichi Aoki and Scott Schuman, respectively. Armed with cameras, both professionals and amateurs have taken to the street to document the various and unique ways that people adorn and present themselves. While photographs like these have become commonplace in magazines and blogs, Veleko’s photographs express not only the unique everyday fashion found in Johannesburg, but also present issues of identity, perception, and globalization.