Between Dogs and Wolves is the culmination of more than a decade of work by the award-winning South African photographer Jodi Bieber. Beginning in 1994, in the immediate aftermath of South Africa’s first democratic elections, the project follows a generation of young people growing up on the margins of a society undergoing profound transformation.

Through a series of intimate encounters, Bieber documents lives unfolding in environments shaped by poverty, violence and social change. The photographs move through some of Johannesburg’s toughest neighbourhoods, spaces where gang culture dominates daily life and where survival often depends on navigating complex social realities.

At the same time, the work reveals moments of aspiration and imagination. Bieber introduces us to children training as dancers and musicians, to a father and son performing a trapeze act and to young people whose ambitions extend beyond the environments into which they were born.

Life on the Edge of the City

The series takes viewers into a range of urban spaces across Johannesburg. Bieber photographs streets controlled by gangs, suburbs where prostitution forms part of the informal economy and shelters that provide refuge for children living with HIV/AIDS.

Among the individuals encountered is David, a nineteen-year-old navigating life in Fitas, a struggling white working-class neighbourhood. His story, like many others in the series, reflects the uncertainties facing young people attempting to define their futures within rapidly changing social conditions.

Dreams and Possibilities

Despite the harsh environments documented in the project, Between Dogs and Wolves is not defined solely by hardship. The photographs also capture resilience, ambition and the desire for transformation.

Young performers rehearse dance routines, musicians develop their craft and families hold onto traditions that provide structure and meaning. These moments reveal how imagination and creativity persist even within difficult circumstances.

“Between dogs and wolves lies the fragile territory between innocence and survival.”

A Generation in Transition

The title of the series reflects a state of uncertainty that characterises the lives of many of its subjects. The period following South Africa’s democratic transition brought new freedoms and possibilities, yet it also exposed deep structural inequalities that continued to shape everyday life.

In this context the photographs become metaphors for the broader struggle faced by South Africa itself: a country negotiating the loss of old certainties while searching for new forms of stability and opportunity.

Jodi Bieber

Born in South Africa and now based in Johannesburg, Jodi Bieber has built an internationally recognised career in documentary photography. Her work frequently explores questions of identity, social justice and human resilience.

Bieber regularly contributes to major international publications and collaborates with non-profit organisations on documentary projects around the world. While South Africa remains central to her practice, she has also worked extensively in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and across the African continent.

Over the course of her career she has received numerous international honours, including seven World Press Photo awards, and has participated in exhibitions and publications across Europe, Africa and the United States.

Viewing the Series

The photographs from Between Dogs and Wolves form an important record of youth and social change in post-apartheid South Africa. Together they present a nuanced portrait of a generation navigating the uncertain space between vulnerability and possibility.

Selected prints from this series are currently available through Gallery F. For information on editions, availability or upcoming exhibitions related to Jodi Bieber’s work, please feel free to contact the gallery.