Among Nguni languages spoken in South Africa, the word isivumelwano means contract, agreement, or covenant. Taking this word as a point of departure, Mlangeni’s series surveys wedding ceremonies and marital festivities across the country over the course of seventeen years. These photographic compositions mine the psychological and spiritual stakes of connection, rendering collective spaces and individuals in the throes of celebration. For Mlangeni, these images magnify “the systems that we live in (and against).”

Gallery label from

New Photography 2025: Lines of Belonging, September 14, 2025–January 17, 2026

Medium Gelatin silver print
Dimensions 14 1/2 × 9 9/16" (36.8 × 24.3 cm)
Credit Judith and Wm. Brian Little Fund
Object number 203.2024.10
Department Photography

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