The exhibition was facilitated by veteran photographer, Gideon Mendell. This time around Mendell was not the one behind the lens. Instead he trained 17 men and women to take pictures that tell the story of their lives.

‘€œI’€™ve been working as a documentary photographer working with people on this issue for a long time. And one thing I realized as a photographer, in order to make your photographs work, in order to tell your story, however compassionate, however sympathetic you may be, in order to take a good photograph you sort of need to be in control of the situation to some extent and I’€™ve come to a point now where I think my time as a photographer in this subject is over. It’€™s time for me to hand the camera back to HIV-positive people. It’€™s time for HIV-positive people to pick up their own cameras and to be telling their own stories and to be photographing their own lives’€, Mendell said about shifting roles.

In so doing, Mendell’€™s protégés were able to create self-portraits showing hope, pride and a zest to live. Each poster has a dozen pictures accompanied by a brief narrative explaining the circumstances of the owner. The exhibition opened at Wits University’€™s Reproductive Health & HIV Research Unit in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.

One of the many intriguing posters belonged to Zandile, a 27-year old Jo’€™burger. Looming large in the middle of her poster was a picture of her face. But you can see only one side of her face. Her head and the remainder of her face is covered by an aura of darkness.

‘€œIt’€™s representative of the rest of the world ‘€“ the world that she lives in ‘€“ that you have to put on a brave face and face this darkness. This is a very powerful picture. I love it’€, ventured Tshiamo a Wits University Drama student as we marveled at the image before us.

And she was not far off the mark.

‘€œAs a young person, existing in this world is a bit difficult. There’€™s a bit of darkness. This darkness to me simply says there is stigma around. It’€™s a place where I tend to slide back to from time to time. But I’€™m getting out. I’€™m slowly getting out. If you can see the portrait, there’€™s part of me that’€™s going out. I’€™m no longer in that dark place. I am, still, but coming out’€ explained Zandile, who created the poster.          

‘€œIt (the darkness) has held me back because I always had dreams. I’€™m a writer. From 1998, I started writing my book and until this day I haven’€™t published my book because I always thought people will say, ‘€˜no, this is wrong. This is right’€™’€¦ Living my life trying to prove to some people who exactly I am or, maybe, trying to fit in with what other young people or what other people around me are doing. So, it has held me back from endless things, like relationships. (She laughs).

I’€™m still single because I always had issues. So, right now as I’€™m saying, I’€™m emerging from this darkness. I’€™m emerging from this shell that I’€™ve always held myself into. So, this darkness is just a whole lot of issues that were always holding me, but as you can see, there’€™s a bit of light. And I’€™m happy right now’€, she continued.

Exhibition facilitator, Gideon Mendell, had this to say about Zandile’€™s and other 16 participants’€™ creations:                                        

‘€œAs I see it now the fight against stigma is the most important fight of this era and I truly hope that what we’€™ve made over here can be a new tool of visual advocacy’€¦ a new tool of words and pictures which can help us all in the fight against stigma’€.

What is it do you think about art like this’€¦ about taking pictures’€¦ that can actually tell people’€™s stories better, I asked him?

‘€œI’€™m a firm believer in the power of pictures and words working together. And images speak on a deeper level than words. People respond to pictures instinctively and words kind of follow on and if you see a picture and you see the words relating to it, you learn a lot more than having just one or the other. I think as an educational tool, it’€™s powerful, but also as a form of art, it’€™s very powerful. I’€™m a firm believer in the power of photography, the power of art, to be part of campaigns to transform society’€, Mendell replied.