Joburg born landscape photographer Guy Tillim recently showcased some of the shots he took on his ten day excursion of Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. The exhibition was held at the Stevenson Gallery in Braamfontein and will be running until the 19th of April.
Tillim’s images explore different spaces in Libreville- from a leafy suburb with the city skyline showing faintly in the background to a convoy of expensive looking cars, smartly dressed dignitaries and military personnel on Independence Day. The overall results of this showcase were a city rich in both cultural and historic heritage. “When taking pictures, always try to provide an alternative view into a different world for different people,” says Tillim explaining the message he was hoping to bring across through his work .
As you’d expect of Braamfontein crowds, an interesting mix of cool people showed up at the opening night to witness the work of this world renowned photographer. Man of the moment, Tillim, spent the evening chatting to some of his guests. To those aspiring photographers, Tillim advises that you grab your camera, go out there and do your thing. “It isn’t easy for someone without experience to establish themselves as a good photographer , but when it comes to photography, people are always looking for someone to tell their own story,” he says.
Tillim has previously worked as a photojournalist for international news organisations like Reuters. His photography is usually social commentary on anything from housing problems in Hillbrow, Johannesburg to civil war in Angola. His other recent work, Avenue Patrice Lumumba, saw him capturing different aspects of urban post colonial Southern and Western African cities that have streets named after Lumumba. He also has many awards under his belt including the 2004 DaimlerChrysler Award for South African photography.
This exhibition was Tillim’s first after nearly a decade.
The Stevenson Gallery is on 62 Juta Street , Braamfontein
