Born in Johannesburg in 1962, Guy Tillim studied at the University of Cape Town and began his photography career in 1986. He was a member of Afrapix, a collective of South African photographers, until 1990, and has since worked as a freelance photojournalist for both local and international media, including Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Tillim is renowned for his powerful portrayals of Africa, particularly his series on Johannesburg's Hillbrow neighbourhood, which depicts the aftermath of apartheid. His work captures the stark realities of post-colonial Africa, from deteriorating urban landscapes to the struggles of marginalised communities. Tillim has received numerous accolades, including the Robert Gardner Fellowship in Photography from the Peabody Museum at Harvard University (2006) and the HCB Award from the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson (2017). His work has been exhibited globally and is held in prestigious collections such as the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Tate Modern in London, and the Iziko South African National Gallery, amongst others.