Zanele Muholi: A strong voice of art for the queer community in Africa
An immersive temporary exhibition at Tate Modern, featuring the visual artistry and activism of Zanele Muholi, is accompanied by the afro rave compositions of Toya Delazy. The exhibition will run until January 2025.
Over 300 photographs paint the narratives of black lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex individuals in South Africa, showcasing the range of Muholi’s artistic practice. The images challenge prevailing ideologies, presenting the subjects as bold, empowered individuals who bravely, even defiantly, confront prejudice, intolerance, and often violence.
The frontal portraits in the exhibition are particularly striking. Highlighting the complex personalities of the subjects, these images are so compelling that they demand attention. They refuse to let viewers dismiss or overlook a historically marginalized community that is claiming acceptance and equal treatment.
Muholi’s early series of photographs, “Only Half the Picture,” captures the complexity of the gender and sexuality spectrum within the queer community. The series features moments of love and intimacy, as well as images hinting at traumatic events in the participants’ lives.
The exhibition, Muholi’s first in the UK, originally opened at Tate Modern in 2020 but was suspended due to lockdown. Now, it is being presented in a revised version. Muholi, who identifies as non-binary, explains their identity by simply stating, “I’m just a man”.
Born in Durban, South Africa in 1972, Muholi photographs and films portraits of individuals from the LGBTQ+ community. They explore the gap between post-apartheid South Africa and the ideals of equality promoted by the 1996 Constitution, as well as the ongoing incidents of violence against the LGBTQ+ community.
South Africa underwent significant social and political changes in the 1990s. Despite the 1996 Constitution being the first in the world to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, the country’s LGBTQ+ community continues to face violence and prejudice.
Muholi’s early series of photographs, “Only Half the Picture,” encapsulates the complexities of the gender and sexuality spectrum within the queer community. It depicts moments of love and intimacy, as well as images alluding to traumatic events in the lives of the subjects.
The featured photographs present survivors of hate crimes and rape, while keeping the gender of the individuals undisclosed. The subjects remain anonymous. Despite South African law protecting homosexuality, many choose not to express their legal rights in public due to fear of violent backlash. There is also a hesitancy to report hate crimes, as victims often face ridicule and discouragement from government officials.
The visual archive, Faces and Phases, on display in a large room at the Tate, commemorates black lesbians, trans individuals, and those who defy gender norms. It serves as a living record of this community in South Africa and beyond. The project was initiated in 2006 when the creator’s girlfriend, Busi Sigasa, contracted HIV following a “corrective” rape.
Muholi’s concern for the participants’ safety meant that all those photographed were adults and fully out. He asserts that while there is increased visibility in the West, the suffering and systematic oppression these individuals face in post-apartheid South Africa are overlooked.
The Brave Beauties series celebrates non-binary individuals and trans women, while the Being series presents tender images of couples challenging stereotypes and taboos of white supremacy and heteronormativity. These images narrate both collective and individual stories, challenging notions of deviance and victimhood. They prompt viewers to confront their own misconceptions, fostering a shared sense of understanding and solidarity. During the exhibition of the “Brave Beauties” portrait series at the Stevenson Gallery in Cape Town, visitors were invited to share their experiences, stories and visions directly on the gallery walls. Muholi’s aim was to empower both participants and viewers through his work.
A standout section of the exhibition is a series of self-portraits titled “Somnyama Ngonyama” (“Hail, Dark Lioness”). Here, the artist turns the camera on himself to explore issues of race and representation.
Common household items and everyday materials – pegs, slingshots, latex gloves, toilet paper, and cables – are repurposed into politically charged symbols. The resulting images delve into themes such as labour, racism, Eurocentrism, and sexual politics. They often provide commentary on events from South African history and Muholi’s personal experiences as a black queer individual travelling abroad.
The final segment of the exhibition, centered on the theme of collectivity, features photographs from protests, Pride events, and life-altering moments for many individuals.
Muholi sees their mission as “rewriting a black queer and trans visual history of South Africa for the world to learn about our resistance and existence amidst rampant hate crimes in the country and beyond”. Through these positive depictions, they aim to combat the stigma and negativity associated with queer identity in South African society, and provide a more balanced and representative narrative of homosexuality in South Africa.
On April 20, 2012, a robbery occurred at Muholi’s apartment in Vredehoek. Over twenty external hard drives containing five years’ worth of photos and videos were stolen. Among these were images of the funerals of black South African lesbians who were victims of hate crimes. The fact that nothing else was taken raises suspicions that the target was Muholi’s archive documenting black lesbian life. This robbery almost erased five years of their work.
Muholi believes they cannot simply relax and focus solely on the artistic aspect of their work. “We’ve endured so much as human beings, and it’s forced many of us to become activists – those who have survived racism, hate crimes, and various forms of displacement. You can’t just exist, ignoring your responsibilities,” they assert.
