Roger Ballen

Roger Ballen is one of the most influential photographic artists of the 21st century. Working for more than five decades, his practice has expanded the boundaries of photography through the integration of drawing, sculpture, installation, and psychological narrative. Long associated with a stark black-and-white aesthetic, Ballen has developed what he describes as “documentary fiction,” creating images that probe the subconscious and the human condition. His work is held in over fifty major international museum collections, and he represented South Africa at the Venice Biennale Arte in 2022. In 2025, Thames & Hudson published Spirits and Spaces, Ballen’s first major body of colour work, marking a significant new chapter in his practice.