Melusi Masike

Melusi Masike, a black creative storyteller based in Daveyton, Ekhurhuleni, employs photography as his narrative medium. Influenced by an entrepreneurship programme at Morena Ke Lethabo Training Centre, Melusi learned to approach his photography as a business. His journey includes attending a basic to intermediate photography programme in Kwa-Thema in 2018, facilitated by Raymond Mokoena and the Springs Art Gallery. In 2021, he completed the Advanced Programme in Photography (APP) at the Market Photo Workshop, delving into photography practices and commercial preparation.
Melusi’s exhibitions include participating in a 2019 group exhibition at Springs Art Gallery honouring Chris Hani and a 2020 East Fashion Week-hosted group exhibition. He made it to the top 20 for the Thami Mnyele Fine Art Awards in 2021 and graduated from the Market Photo Workshop’s Advanced Photography Programme. In 2022, he attended Johannesburg Summer School, exploring art dialogues and practical responses to represent ideas.
Joining Nazo Arts and Projects in 2022, Melusi curated installations, focusing on exhibition development, art preservation, and critical thinking. Concurrently, he became an assistant curator and gallery assistant at Umhlabathi Gallery, handling diverse responsibilities such as research, art handling, writing, proposal development, project management, and exhibition planning. Melusi’s work, rooted in South African and African heritage, seeks to educate the world about customs and celebrate cultural diversity.