In the Eye of the Beholder

'I See A Different You"       

Most online images of Soweto feature pictures of dirty children and shabby shacks, the kind ofimages we have come to associate with poverty. Unless you’re visiting the website “I See A Different You”, that is.

This blog (found at iseeadifferentyou.tumblr.com) is an ode to the Soweto that its residents know and

love. Here, you’ll see slick **pantsulas** and smiling mothers, children skating and hip-hop fans sporting brand new kicks. It’s a Soweto that dazzles with colour, where style feels more at home than it does in Milan; a Soweto that would make the world’s most beautiful cities feel drab and like a plain Jane. It’s the Soweto of twin brothers Innocent and Justice Mukhele and their best friend Vuyo Mpantsha.

When the trio created the blog in 2011, it was in reaction to the fact that Soweto isn’t often portrayed in this manner. “We got the idea when I was travelling through Uganda and Kenya,” says Innocent. “I sent pictures to Justice and Vuyo, and they were amazed. Because the media highlights the negative aspects of these countries, they hadn’t expected so much beauty.” The brothers realised that South Africa, and their township in particular, had fallen victim to the same treatment. “We decided it was time to tell our story.”

Storytelling – indeed, any form of creativity – comes naturally to the trio, who have been friends since the twins were 12 and Vuyo was eight. “We were always interested in art. As children, Justice and I spent a lot of time drawing, while Vuyo’s first love was music,” Innocent says. They trained their eye by studying pictures and scrutinising landscapes. Even a ride in the car with their mother was an opportunity to appreciate line, colour, and form. However, their obsession with design hadn’t extended to photography, an art form they considered “lazy”.

That was until their first picture was posted on the blog. Unlike many bloggers who patiently post and wait for traffic, I See a Different You was a hit from the start. And why wouldn’t it be? Innocent, Justice and Vuyo were showing South Africans the spaces and places they themselves were familiar with, and yet took for granted. Says Innocent: “We started by taking pictures of the areas where we’d had special moments in our childhood, places where we used to play. Some of the places we photographed were dingy, difficult to imagine as anything but ugly. But we pointed out that there is beauty in everything. It’s your choice to see it or not.”

Pictures of places seamlessly segued into photos of people. If there is anything that defines Soweto, it’s the fact that it’s impossible to define. It is a hodgepodge of subcultures. Given their eye for the aesthetic, the trio soak in these trends, and set their own. “Growing up, we’d see the **swankas** and the **panstulas**, the cool dads who dressed well. Our father used to tell us that clothes are important, you should always have good shoes, a good belt, and a good watch. We were into hip-hop, so we didn’t listen until we started working, and swapped our baggy clothes for a more tailored look.”

The blog has changed in other ways, too. No longer focusing on Soweto alone, it features pictures from destinations the world over, wherever the trio travel. “Travel is important to us, and we’re trying to show the youth why,” says Innocent. He’s seen a different side of Senegal, Mozambique, Japan, Norway, Venda, and Tanzania. “It’s about learning from these countries and inspiring each other, as well as motivating others to see what’s out there.”

And they are certainly making their mark. Innocent has lost count of the movement’s Tumblr followers, but “I See a Different You” reaches 16,000 Twitter fans, 13,000 Instagram followers and a Facebook audience of 6,300.

Some of these followers have carried considerable clout. In 2012, the trio was invited by Diesel to become part of a campaign the brand had developed around eight young, talented Africans. As brand ambassadors, Diesel created a denim collection for them, then hosted an exhibition of their work in Tokyo.

What’s next for Innocent, Justice and Vuyo? Having recently started their own production company, Three Quarter Pictures, they’re shooting their own commercials and short films. True to their ethos, their films are about telling the stories of their community members. They’re also flexing their musical muscles. While Vuyo is a producer and plays guitar, Justice plays bass, and Innocent is a drummer.

It might sound like a hectic schedule – especially since all three have jobs in the advertising industry – but Innocent insists that, while they’re committed to their movement, they don’t view their dedication as enslavement. “It helps that we’re best friends. We challenge each other, argue, fight, laugh, but most of all, we have fun. It’s all just playing.”

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