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Zanele Muholi

 

Zanele Muholi: Visual Activist Through the Lens

Zanele Muholi is a South African visual activist and photographer whose work powerfully documents and celebrates the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities. Known for their striking self-portraits and deeply personal series, Muholi uses photography as both art and activism — challenging stereotypes, confronting injustices, and creating visibility for marginalized identities. Their work is as technically masterful as it is socially urgent, positioning Muholi among the most important contemporary photographers of our time.

Camera Gear

Zanele Muholi has employed a range of professional gear across their projects, favoring tools that allow precision and intimacy:

  • Nikon DSLR cameras (D800, D850) – For high-resolution portraiture and documentary projects.

Nikon D850

  • Canon EOS 5D and 7D series – Used in earlier projects, providing versatility and reliability.

Canon Eos 7D


Canon Eos 5D
  • Prime lenses (35mm, 50mm, 85mm f/1.4) – For sharp, intimate portraits with shallow depth of field.

  • Medium Format Digital (Hasselblad) – For their large-scale, meticulously detailed self-portrait series Somnyama Ngonyama.

  • Studio lighting & natural light – Depending on the project, Muholi often combines available light with controlled setups to achieve dramatic contrasts.

Film & Technique

  • Black-and-white photography is central to Muholi’s self-portraits, creating stark, sculptural images with deep symbolic weight.

  • Uses digital color work in documentary projects, especially in Faces and Phases, a long-running series of portraits of LGBTQIA+ South Africans.

  • Employs studio precision alongside candid street/documentary methods.

  • Their large-scale prints emphasize presence and demand confrontation from viewers.

Legacy

Zanele Muholi identifies as a visual activist, and their work has redefined how photography intersects with social justice. By placing LGBTQIA+ individuals and Black identity at the center of fine art, they have carved out space in the global conversation for representation and dignity. Muholi’s exhibitions are not just art showcases — they are platforms for visibility and activism.

Books Featuring Zanele Muholi’s Work

  • Somnyama Ngonyama: Hail the Dark Lioness (2018)

see it on Amazon

  • Faces and Phases 2006–2014 (2014)

  • Zanele Muholi (Taschen, 2021) – a comprehensive overview

  • Only Half the Picture (2006)


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