Mzansi style

After he spent 17 years abroad, photographer Ed Suter rediscovered Mzansi via a series of photographs of idiosyncratic stylistas and singular street art. The result is a book called Sharp Sharp. 

“I think I was more alert to the changes because I was away from South Africa for so long,” Ed says. “Whenever I went on an assignment I would take time to explore the city. This made me look at South Africa differently.”

Instead of a hefty tome, he has compiled images taken over three years into a compact book that explodes with colour. “I wanted it to be the kind of book that someone working in magazines would put in their handbag, or a graphic student could shove in their rucksack.”

Writer Tudor Caradoc-Davies complements the visual feast with a glossary of street lingo and quotes from artists. “My favourite was by an elderly man in a green suit, Percy Benjamin, who said the young people of today don’t know how to dress,” Tudor recalls. He was also fascinated by the street artists who put so much effort into their work but have no problem letting it go. “They know the weather will destroy it, or a poster will be stuck over it, but they aren’t at all precious about their work.”

The book may be on the shelves but Ed still finds himself chasing after sharply dress urbanites. “It’s a reflex action. Now it would be great to publish a Sharp Sharp: Mozambique or Sharp Sharp: Ghana. That’s something I would love to do.” 

Sharp Sharp, published by Quivertree Publications, is available from leading bookstores for R275.