An eye for the unusual, a passion to explore avenues less travelled, and the desire to create images that resonate with emotion, are what drives this Johannesburg photographer.
Justin Dingwall is a successful commercial photographer, as well as a contemporary artist. Having exhibited both locally and internationally and recently making the top 10 in one of Africa’s most prestigious art completions the 2014 Absa L’atelier.
His most recent project, a series of beautiful composed portraits of Thando Hopa (a young lawyer-turned-model who has albinism) has attracted attention internationally. February 2014 saw these portraits on exhibition at the London 14 Art Fair, as well as in a Solo Exhibition at the MIA Gallery in Seattle. In October 2013 the portraits were on exhibition at the 1:54 African Art Fair in London, after making their debut at the prestigious FNB Johannesburg Art Fair. “Exploring the ambiguities of classical beauty” is what is at the heart of an ongoing collaboration between Dingwall and Hopa.
Dingwall started his career in commercial photography after graduating with a BTech Cum Laude in Photography from the Tswane University of Technology in 2004. During the next few years he won numerous awards, including gold in the Fuji Film Awards for portraiture. His exhibitions include a solo show of gritty portraits called “Portraying Life” in 2005, and a group exhibition called Positive, where he featured alongside established artists such as designer Carrol Boyes, sculptor Guy du Toit and ceramicist Barbara Jackson in a global Aids initiative. His work has been published both locally and internationally.
He continues his journey of self-discovery through his lens…
“I do what I do for the love of new experiences. My imagery is not bound by language or culture. I want my work to speak for itself and for people to interpret it in their own way. I want people to be affected by my images… As long as someone is feeling something, I am achieving my goals.”
EDUCATION
2004 BTech Photography Cum Laude from Tswane University of Technology
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014 Albus, Rooke Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2014 Albus, M.I.A Gallery, Seattle, America
2012 Incurious, Sibisi Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
2005 Portraying Life, Image Hub, Pretoria, South Africa
GROUP EXHIBITION
2015 TWENTY: Art in time of Democracy, curated by Gordon Froud at the University of Johannesburg
2015 “Representations of Otherness and Resistance” in collaboration with the Centre for Africa Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) from the 20th of May to 19th of June 2015. Presented by The Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery co-curated by Annali Dempsey and Angela De Jesus
2015 TWENTY: Art in time of Democracy, curated by Gordon Froud at the Pretoria Art Museum on behalf of the University of Johannesburg
2015 “Making Africa. A Continent of Contemporary Design”, Guggenheim Bilbao
2015 “Making Africa. A Continent of Contemporary Design”, Virta Design Museum, Weil am Rhein
2015 Can’t fool me now, Curated by_ Collective, Berlin (Snake)
2014 Thami Mnyele Fine Art Award 2014, Top 5, South Africa
2014 Sasol New Signatures Top 100, Pretoria Art Gallery, Pretoria, South Africa
2014 Absa L’atelier Top 100, Absa Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa,
2014 TAF, Turbine Arts Fair, Art Source, Johannesburg, South Africa (ALBUS, 3 Marys)
2014 Adobe Creative Cloud Mosaic Launch, Lincon Center, Alice Tully Hall, New York, USA (48 artists selected from around the world)
2014 Twenty, Contemporary Art From South Africa, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Appalachian State University, North Carolina, USA, Curated by Gordon Froud and Professor Karen Von Veh (ALBUS: 2 Vulnerables and Black Veil)
2014 Art 14 London, Rooke & van Wyk Gallery, Art Fair, London, United Kingdom
2013 1:54 Contemporary African, MIA Gallery, Art Fair, London, United Kingdom
2013 FNB Johannesburg Arts Fair, Rooke & van Wyk Gallery, South Africa
2006 Positive, Sun City, North West Province, South Africa
2004 Graduate Show, Pretoria Technikon, Pretoria, South Africa
COLLECTIONS
2015 S.A.F.F.C.A. collection “Albus”
2014 Oliewenhuis Art Museum, South Africa “Albus”
2013 The Spier Art Collection, South Africa, “Albus”
2013 Museum of Modern Art, Equatorial Guinea, “Albus”
AWARDS
2015 SA Taxi Foundation Art Award, Top 30, Lizamore and Associates
2014 Thami Mnyele Fine Art Award 2014, Top 5, Multi & New Media Merit Award
2014 Sasol New Signitures Top 100
2014 Absa L’atelier, Top 10 Finalist
2013 IPA – int’l photography awards (Fine Art Portrait Pro – Justin Dingwall – “Albus” 8-64177-13) Honorable Mention
2013 One Eyeland Photography Awards (Silver – Fine Art – Portrait) ALBUS
2004 Fuji Film Awards – Portraiture (Gold)
TILES
2013 Art South Africa, Cover, Volume 12, Issue 02, December 2013 (Albus)
COMERTICAL CLIENTS
Adobe
MAC Cosmetics
Imperial Car
Transact
