Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi (they/them, b. 1972, Umlazi, South Africa) is an internationally acclaimed visual activist and photographer whose work has reshaped the landscape of contemporary art and human rights advocacy. Deeply rooted in South Africa’s complex post-apartheid socio-political terrain, Muholi uses photography as a tool to document, affirm, and elevate the lives of Black LGBTQ+ individuals. Through their lens, they craft a powerful visual archive that both confronts and resists the erasure and marginalization of queer and trans communities in South Africa and globally.

Muholi’s journey into photography began with a commitment to activism. In 2002, they co-founded the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), a Black lesbian rights organization. This early work in grassroots advocacy fueled their desire to challenge social injustice through visual storytelling. Muholi studied Advanced Photography at the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg—an institution founded by the legendary photographer David Goldblatt—before earning an MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University in Toronto in 2009. In recognition of their contributions to the arts, they were named Honorary Professor at the University of the Arts Bremen in 2013.

Identifying as a "visual activist," Muholi does not separate their art from their activism. Their groundbreaking photographic series Faces and Phases (2006– ) stands as a vital testament to this ethos. Through stark black-and-white portraits of Black lesbians, trans men, and gender-nonconforming individuals, the series offers a dignified and empowering counter-narrative to dominant media representations. Each subject stares directly into the camera, asserting their presence and humanity in a society where queer bodies are often rendered invisible or targeted by violence. The project is not only artistic but archival, building a visual history of South Africa's LGBTQ+ community during a time of both constitutional recognition and enduring discrimination.

Muholi expanded this mission with Somnyama Ngonyama ("Hail the Dark Lioness"), a series of evocative self-portraits that explore identity, race, and historical memory. In these photographs, they exaggerate the darkness of their skin tone to challenge perceptions of Blackness and reclaim agency over the Black body. By embodying various personas—domestic workers, miners, brides, soldiers—Muholi draws attention to the intersections of colonialism, labor, gender, and racism, particularly as they manifest in South African history and contemporary society.

Throughout their career, Muholi has emphasized accessibility and education. In 2009, they founded Inkanyiso, a platform for queer visual media and dialogue, and have remained deeply engaged with youth empowerment through initiatives like Ikhono LaseNatali and PhotoXP, offering photography training and mentorship in under-resourced communities.

Muholi’s work has been exhibited widely in prestigious venues such as the Tate Modern (London), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), Brooklyn Museum (New York), and Gropius Bau (Berlin), as well as in major biennials including São Paulo, Venice, and Documenta. Their photographs are held in the collections of the Guggenheim, MoMA, the Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and many others.

The artist’s numerous honors reflect the global resonance of their work. These include the ICP Infinity Award for Documentary and Photojournalism (2016), the Lucie Award for Humanitarian Photography (2019), the Spectrum International Prize for Photography (2020), and France’s Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2017). Their photobooks—such as Faces and Phases (2010) and Somnyama Ngonyama (2018)—have also garnered critical acclaim, with the latter winning the Kraszna-Krausz Best Photography Book Award.

Living and working between Durban and Cape Town, Muholi continues to challenge conventional boundaries between art, documentation, and activism. Through a body of work that is as aesthetically compelling as it is politically urgent, they have become one of the most vital voices in contemporary photography and a transformative figure in the global struggle for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.