An artist’s AI adaptation of the devastating explosion that rattled Johannesburg’s city center earlier this week has gone viral for its striking visuals and powerful message about the resilience of the South African spirit in the face of adversity.
Instagram / @thekiso_mokhele
South African visual artist, photographer and AI enthusiast Thekiso Mokhele posted a series of images he created with AI to Instagram on Thursday, and his works have since gone viral for their striking visuals and strong messages around the trauma the South African spirit has endured and the resilience it demonstrates.
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The series, titled ‘The Rumble‘ depicts strikingly beautiful scenes at the sight of the gas explosion that occurred on Bree & Simmonds streets in Johannesburg Central on Wednesday. These images capture the liveliness of the South African spirit in the wake of dire times.
Instagram / @thekiso_mokhele
Instagram user Yavi Mudarai aptly expresses her fascination over Mokhele’s AI depiction of the explosion that occurred in Egoli:
“Depicting the soul of South African-ness in all its glory: ‘Damaged, messy, but unbroken!’ We love drama, we thrive on it, bringing beauty, life and spectacularness in the midst of chaos and drama…”
Instagram / @thekiso_mokhele
Mokhele’s work speaks to the artist’s ability to create something beautiful out of something devastating and critical.
It also symbolises the trauma that South Africans must endure in a shifting environment, and how these experiences are masked with our strength and resilience to show up.
This isn’t Mokhele’s first rodeo when it comes to striking AI art, though. Here are a few of his other works:
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Titled “The value of light is noticed when night falls…”
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Titled: “Surfs Up, Pura Vida”
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Titled: “MME MOTSWADI, uMama”
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Titled: “Froze”
Keep tabs on Thekiso Mokhele’s work here.
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Feature Image: Instagram / @thekiso_mokhele
