The South African photographer Jillian Edelstein documented her country’s harrowing Truth and Reconciliation Commission. These pictures form part of a new exhibition titled *Among People*, which includes a number of rarely seen early works. Born in South Africa and now based in London, Edelstein has spent over 40 years documenting people, communities, and defining moments of contemporary history.
Among People is her first major survey and includes images from her longstanding interest in shared social spaces. The exhibition runs at Stills, Edinburgh, until 24 October 2026 as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival. All photographs are credited to Jillian Edelstein/Stills Gallery.
Edelstein’s work spans portraiture, documentary photography, and editorial commissions. She has photographed artists, writers, performers, activists, Holocaust survivors, political leaders, friends, and family members. Her approach is characterized by empathy and curiosity, often capturing subjects in their natural environments rather than constructed settings.
Key projects include:
– **Truth and Reconciliation Commission (1996–2002):** Edelstein documented victims and perpetrators of apartheid-era human rights abuses in South Africa. Her images, published as *Truth and Lies* in 2002, depict testimonies of loss, violence, survival, and forgiveness. Notable subjects include two young victims, Father Lapsley (a deported ANC chaplain whose hands were blown off by a letter bomb), and Joyce Mtimkulu, who held her son’s hair after he was poisoned by security police.
– **Portraits (1980s–Present):** Edelstein’s portraits include figures like Vanessa Redgrave, President Nelson Mandela, Robert Rauschenberg, and Thembinkosi Tshabe and Mxolisi Goboza. She approached each subject with attentiveness, capturing their stories without constructing elaborate scenes.
– **Affinities (1990s–Present):** This series explores creative and personal relationships, such as collaborations between Gilbert & George and actors like Simon Callow and choreographer Stuart Hopps.
– **Family History (2018):** Edelstein’s journey to uncover her great aunt Minna’s existence and her family’s history in Ukraine, documented in *Here and There*, which also includes photographs from her career.
Edelstein’s work reflects a consistent curiosity about people, relationships, and community life, bridging intimate human encounters with broader social histories. Curator Tracy Marshall-Grant notes her ability to move between personal and collective narratives across decades.