Boy To Man

Kamohelo Mahlatsi & Boitshepo Motaung, 2025 

Boy to Men is an ongoing visual exploration of masculinity, inheritance, and becoming. Developed in collaboration with Neo Motaung and Kamohelo Mahlatsi, the series traces an intimate intergenerational relationship between a young boy and his grandfather, positioning manhood not as a fixed identity, but as something observed, performed, and gradually embodied.

Across a sequence of constructed scenes, the pair move through distinct registers of identity: from formal portraits in smart casual attire, to moments of play in the South Africa national soccer team 2010 kit, to expressions of cultural grounding through Basotho blankets. These shifts reflect the layered nature of masculine formation moving between discipline, play, heritage, and emotional connection.

At the center of the work is the grandfather as both guide and living archive. His presence extends beyond representation into transmission of values, memory, and cultural knowledge. In contrast to dominant narratives of absent or fractured Black male figures, the series foregrounds care, continuity, and mentorship across generations.

The work gestures toward a broader lineage, where manhood is shaped not only by immediate experience but by inherited histories and traditions. Through gesture, proximity, and shared activity, Boy to Men constructs a quiet yet powerful counter-narrative one rooted in tenderness, dignity, and intergenerational connection.

Rather than defining masculinity, the series allows it to unfold. It is a study of becoming where boyhood is held, guided, and gradually transformed into manhood.