Tag: Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi FRPS, born on July 19, 1972, is a renowned South African visual activist and artist known for their profound impact in photography, video, and installation art. Their extensive body of work since the early 2000s delves into themes of race, gender, and sexuality, particularly focusing on the lives of South Africa’s Black LGBTQI+ communities. Muholi, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, emphasizes their humanity in their artistic expression.

Accolades for Muholi include being shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in 2015 and receiving prestigious awards such as the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in 2016, a Chevalier de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2016, and an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2018.

Their impactful retrospective exhibition at Maison européenne de la photographie in Paris in 2023 and showcasing at Mudec-Museo delle Culture in Milan further solidified Muholi’s international acclaim, featuring 60 carefully selected self-portraits in black and white.

Hailing from Umlazi, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Muholi’s upbringing was marked by personal tragedy and societal challenges during Apartheid. Raised by an extended family after the loss of their father and their mother’s work as a domestic worker, Muholi’s experiences fueled their dedication as a visual activist, shedding light on issues such as hate crimes, “corrective rape,” assault, and HIV/AIDS within the LGBTQI+ community.

Muholi holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Documentary Media from Ryerson University and serves as an Honorary Professor at the University of the Arts Bremen in Germany. Their impactful presence extends beyond art exhibitions, having presented at renowned conferences such as the Design Indaba Conference in Cape Town and as a speaker at the WorldPride Madrid Summit 2017, where they co-chaired the Madrid Summit Declaration.