Witty photo project combines comic art with social comment

Rendani Nemakhavhani and Kgomotso Neto Tleane are the creatives behind 'All Hail The Honey', an online photo series celebrating black life, love and nostalgia, writes Ntombenhle Shezi

You know you are onto something when your online alter egos become so popular that people start thinking of you as being those characters off-line.

That's how it is for Rendani Nemakhavhani, 25, and Kgomotso Neto Tleane, 26, popularly known as The Honey and Gavini - their online photo series exploring what it means to be black millennials in post-apartheid South Africa is gaining much traction.

The series, currently on its fourth chapter, was conceived of by Nema-khavhani, a Joburg-based graphic designer and illustrator who takes on the role of The Honey, a character she describes as being "a liker of things - her man Gavini, bling and power".

story_article_left1

Behind the lens, and sometimes in front, is Tleane, a photojournalist who appears in the series as Gavini, a gangster in flashy clothes who will do anything for his Honey.

The two started the project to create more black stories. The series reads like a documentary and a comic book at the same time. Honey's story is a reflection of a code-switching black millennial who can quote Olivia Pope from Scandal or drop kwaito lyrics from the likes of Jacknife and Doc Shebeleza.

She navigates her way between Jeppes-town, Spruitview, Orlando and Braamfontein, all captured beautifully through Tleane's 30mm lens.

"This is a reflection of the people we are. The 'hood is home but we know how to navigate all these different spaces," says Nemakhavhani. It's something many followers of All Hail The Honey connect with.

The first chapter was an introduction to Honey. Shot at a public pool in Jeppestown, she is pictured in and around the pool, sometimes with a whip in hand, her traditional Zulu sandals sourced from the nearby Mai Mai market. When it was released late last year, the two had no idea where the idea would take them.

The second chapter was shot in a hair salon in Meadowlands. With an introduction that reads, "Welcome to the parlour. Where magic happens," it depicts Honey sitting regally under a dryer.

One caption reads, "Even in our conditioning there was something about being black, being beautiful and being dark and lovely," summing up the tone of the chapter.

In chapter three, Tleane steps out from behind the camera as Gavini, Honey's lover and partner in crime in a story that reads almost as an ode to the cult TV show Yizo Yizo.

block_quotes_start A lot of times you are not considered an artist if you are not abstract or have not studied at some big institution block_quotes_end

Shot in Spruitview, it shows the pair riding around in an old-school BMW 358i with a Bonny and Clyde-type narrative. "We re-watched the first two seasons [of Yizo Yizo] and decided to remake specific shots," says Tleane.

They take two notorious characters from the series, Chester and Papa Action, both men, and re-imagine them as lovers. The gender dynamics are switched up with The Honey behind the wheel carrying the pistol.

Chapter four takes us to Orlando in Soweto and a house that used to be a popular tavern frequented by the likes of Brenda Fassie and Hugh Masekela. It still has the big fridges and old posters from back in the day. The house, they say, had a lot of people leaving comments on social media about how it stirred childhood memories.

The pair describe the process as organic. Tleane shoots, both of them are involved in editing and Nemakhavhani works out the narrative after the image selection. They release a few teasers on Facebook before putting a full chapter on Tumblr.

Tleane's eye and his focus on colour are an integral part of turning their Tumblr page into a work of art. They have collaborated with big brands like J&B and have been invited to exhibit at the Turbine Art Fair and other spaces. "A lot of times you are not considered an artist if you are not abstract or have not studied at some big institution," says Tleane.

Three more chapters are in the works. "It's complex," says Nemakhavhani. "We are trying to find our way between our different lives ... just trying to figure things out."

• For more on the duo's online photo series visit their Tumblr.