Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi, born on July nineteenth, nineteen seventy-two, is a prominent South African visual activist and artist renowned for their impactful work in photography, video, and installation. With a career that began in the early two thousands, Muholi has dedicated their artistry to documenting and celebrating the lives of South Africa's Black lesbian, gay, transgender, and intersex communities.

Identifying as non-binary and using they/them pronouns, Muholi emphasizes their humanity, stating, 'I'm just human.' They prefer the term 'visual activist' over 'artist,' reflecting their commitment to increasing the visibility of marginalized groups. Their work often addresses critical issues such as hate crimes, corrective rape, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, aiming to bring these harsh realities to public consciousness.

Throughout their career, Muholi has received numerous accolades, including being shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in two thousand fifteen and winning the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in two thousand sixteen. They were also honored with the Chevalier de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in the same year, an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in two thousand eighteen, and the prestigious forty-sixth Hasselblad Award in two thousand twenty-six.

In two thousand twenty-three, Muholi's work was showcased in a retrospective exhibition at the Maison européenne de la photographie in Paris, running from February first to May twenty-fifth. Additionally, their art was featured at Mudec-Museo delle Culture in Milan from March thirty-first to July thirtieth, where sixty carefully selected black and white self-portraits were displayed.