Joburg Map Books Come to Life Through John Phalane
About a year ago, as I wandered the halls of the Turbine Art Fair, an annual fair featuring the works of emerging South African artists, I stopped short in front of some poster-sized pictures by John Phalane. The pictures portrayed maps — mostly Joburg maps...
Art Blooms Inside Johannesburg’s Drill Hall
A few days ago I walked into the Drill Hall, in the frenetic center of downtown Joburg, and went through a wormhole into an alternate universe. Outside the Drill Hall — a hint of what’s to come. Inside the Hall, where every found object — a chunk of...
Jozi Fashion Designer for a Day
Last Saturday, to celebrate 49 years on earth, I gave myself a gift: I booked an Airbnb experience with Caraci Clothing and pretended to be a fashion designer for the day. Okay, “fashion designer for the day” is a slight exaggeration — other than...
A Staycation in Kensington
I’ve always been intrigued by Kensington, a suburb just east of downtown Joburg. Kensington is similar in many ways to Melville, where I used to live, and Brixton, where I live now: An older neighborhood, filled with big trees and houses with pressed-steel...
Heather Mason
I’m an American writer/blogger/photographer living a quirky life in Johannesburg. Follow along as I explore Johannesburg, South Africa, and the rest of the world.