South African visual activist Zanele Muholi’s celebrated work centres the lives and experiences of Black lesbians and trans people. For more than two decades Muholi has used photography to courageously open space for queer representation within and outside of art galleries in South Africa and across the world.
Muholi uses the non-binary pronouns they/them/their and prefers the term “visual activist” over “artist” or “photographer”. This makes it clear that their work is explicitly political and is intended to bring about change through transforming how Black LGBTIQ+ people are portrayed and perceived.
Together with the participants who feature in their portraits, they have produced a vast visual archive that asserts the right to live in safety and freedom, that rages against injustice, and that celebrates love and community.
