Zanele Muholi: photographer and visual activist
The artist and campaigner reframing visual history in South Africa, where marginalised communities often face prejudice and violence despite the country鈥檚 liberal constitution
What does it mean to be a visual activist? This week, In The Studio meets pioneering non-binary South African photographer Zanele Muholi, who aims to give the marginalised a presence in the visual archive with their striking portraits of the black South African LGBTI community.
Ahead of Muholi鈥檚 first major UK retrospective at Tate Modern this Spring, reporter Mpho Lakaje follows Muholi, in Johannesburg and Durban as they work on their ongoing series 鈥淔aces and Phases鈥�. This is an evolving photographic record and part of Muholi鈥檚 life鈥檚 work to map and preserve an often invisible community for posterity. It also serves to address the serious issue of hate crime in South Africa and its neighbouring countries, where the stigma of homosexuality can often lead to rape, violence, and murder.
We follow Muholi capturing images, interviewing participants and hearing their stories before creating their powerful images in black and white, highlighting and celebrating the beauty of black skin.
Podcast
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