ABOUT ME

DeLovie Kwagala, They/Them; is the first non-binary queer photographer and social activist from Kampala, Uganda. They are self taught and currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their work explores narratives around Identity, Belonging, Social Injustices, and Gender-Sexuality with the intent to not sexualize, fetishize or stigmatize; inspired by their experience and those of others. They have worked with Facebook, UNICEF, TIME Magazine, The Guardian, Washington post, and many NGOs in Uganda and internationally.

Achievements include; The East African Photography Award 2021, Tierney Fellowship 2021 Grant, CAP PRIZE 2021 shortlist, WomenPhotograph mentee 2021, International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) gender justice reporting fellow, World Press Photo 6x6 Global talent 2020 nominee, the African Photographers Residency 2021 with F2Foto Festival in Dortmund, Germany, New Generation Honorable mention from the PH Museum 2021 grants, featured as 1 of 10 black women photographers to watch in 2021 by PH Museum, Special mention 2020 Single Images Pride Photo Award among others. They have works showing at the World Press Photo & APJD Oldenburg, Germany (2021), Festival de Fotografia, São Paulo (2021), Looks Like Us, Toronto (2021) etc.

They have participated in panels including Black WomenPhotograph Annual Summit, Save Haven, Women Voices Through the Lens and African Youth in The News by the World Press Photo and the Market Photo Workshop in 2020, African Photography Conversations on Portraiture hosted by the CAP Prize, among others. They have contributed to the online safety training for Journalists’ sessions co-ordinated by the Knight Centre for Journalism at the University of Texas, Austin, IWMF, and UNESCO, DeLovie aspires for their images to evoke relatability, a sense of learning, and unlearning what we thought we knew beyond ‘the obvious visual’. They want to provoke questioning and defiance of the stereotypical narratives that are embedded in our minds, especially about beauty and gender identity antithetical to patriarchal beliefs.

– let the world embrace you as you are, regardless -