How Paul Weinberg's lens found light in the darkest of days

For decades, the photographer has documented lives often overlooked, finding moments of humanity and resilience amid apartheid's shadows. His retrospective exhibition opens soon

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Between the Cracks brings together nearly five decades of Paul Weinberg's photographic career.

During this period, he has produced 21 books, either as a photographer or as both author and photographer. He has also contributed to important collective projects, exhibitions and publications.

Weinberg was a founding member of Afrapix and South, two collective agencies that gained local and international recognition for their uncompromising role in documenting apartheid and the popular resistance against it.

In his early career as a photojournalist, Weinberg worked on the “front line” of history, capturing pivotal moments in South Africa's struggle.

However, as he notes, the concept of the “front line” evolved throughout his career. “Those of us who actively documented the unfolding events and the deeper fabric of our society in the ’80s often referred to ourselves as the ‘Taking Sides’ generation.

“As I came to understand it, the ‘front line’ was not always just the obvious news story of the time. There were other ways to reflect what was going on - through metaphors and symbols of the human struggle.”