Discovering Thembela “Nymless” Ngayi and Organized Crime

A passion for photography and the power of visual storytelling

Thembela Ngayi aka “Nymless”, is a portrait photographer and the founder of Organized Crime, a collective space for creatives.

His aim for this is to provide a showcase for African stories and a platform for artistic exploration.

Themba also uses his work to spark discussion on topics that are often avoided or ignored. He has highlighted the need for conversations around issues such as depression and suicide.

“I want society to understand how to deal with and treat a person who suffers from a mental illness of any form,”. His 2016 project The Great African Horror was a narrative in black-and-white portraits, symbolising African men’s struggle with depression”.

His colour-saturated portraits read like snapshots into moments of life. There are vivid stills of performers on-stage, combined with series of the faces in the crowd, taken close up. Urban street shots and intimate glimpses into everyday life.