Twice trusted with the cover of this magazine, photographer Lennox Makurumidze belongs to a new generation of African artists rewriting Africa’s visual script

Nowadays, thanks to our best friend the smartphone, everyone can take a photo; but as our camera rolls can attest (well, mine at least) not everyone can take a good photo. Lennox Makurumidze, however, takes amazing pictures – which is why we chose him not once but twice to shoot the cover for Design//Life Africa.

Known in Harare’s creative circles as the Pixel Poet, Makurumidze is not only a master behind the lens, he’s a star of the spoken-word circuit, too. Like his poetry, his photos are alive with a fearless energy. It’s a bold spirit shared by a generation of young African artists who are swapping tired stereotypes for bold, contemporary narratives, shaping how the continent sees and presents itself.

Lennox Makurumidze’s portraits don’t just show faces, they capture his subjects’ raw energy – which is why he was the perfect photographer to shoot our covers

For Makurumidze, photography is inseparable from poetry. He calls his practice “visual poetry”, a way of folding words into images and making the ordinary look larger than life. “I want to challenge perception,” he says, “to show that beauty and meaning exist in the moments people often overlook.”

‘I WANT TO SHOW THAT BEAUTY EXISTS IN MOMENTS THAT PEOPLE OFTEN OVERLOOK’

What cannot be overlooked is his raw talent, a gift Makurumidze hides behind modesty and understatement. He’s just as interesting as his images; he’s sharp, funny and a real joy to be around. Spending time with him on a shoot is more like hanging out with a friend; there’s a great deal of chat, lots of laughter and a little bit of hard work thrown in for good measure.

What we really love about Makurumidze is his vision. In a world in which everyone thinks they’re Cecil Beaton, Makurumidze’s work is proof that artistry isn’t about owning a lens, it’s about knowing what to do with it. And Makurumidze knows exactly what to do: he makes us look twice, and then keeps us looking.

Milly McPhie

IG: @lennoxthephotographer