The documentary project Faces and Phases, launched in 2006, serves as a primary pillar of Zanele Muholi’s artistic practice, assembling hundreds of portraits to map the identity of South Africa’s Black queer population. Born in Umlazi in 1972, this South African photographer and visual activist operates at the intersection of fine-art portraiture and social documentation to combat invisibility.
Early Career and Education
Muholi’s path into the visual arts began in Johannesburg, where they completed an Advanced Photography course at the Market Photo Workshop in 2003. Their formal education culminated in a Master of Fine Arts degree in Documentary Media from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2009. The resulting thesis focused on the visual history of Black lesbian identity and politics within post-Apartheid South Africa. Before this, they gained experience as a reporter and photographer for the online magazine Behind the Mask, covering LGBTQI issues across the continent.
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Rejecting the traditional label of artist, Muholi identifies primarily as a visual activist. They treat their subjects as collaborative participants, often inviting them to pose in ways that avoid the historical exploitation of Black bodies. This collaborative framework is designed to dismantle negative perceptions and the prevalence of homophobic violence. By documenting hate crimes, sexual assault, and the realities of corrective rape, Muholi aims to create an enduring archive that preserves the voices and struggles of the LGBTQI community for future generations.
Exhibitions and Global Recognition
Muholi’s inaugural solo exhibition, Visual Sexuality: Only Half the Picture, debuted at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2004. This early project featured survivors of hate crimes and included photographic evidence of legal case numbers. Global prominence followed the 2012 presentation of Faces and Phases at Documenta in Germany. Later exhibitions include a major retrospective at the Maison européenne de la photographie in Paris in 2023, and a showcase of 60 self-portraits at the Mudec-Museo delle Culture in Milan the same year.
Awards and Academic Appointments
Muholi’s contributions to photography and human rights have earned numerous international distinctions. These include the Index Award in 2013, the Prince Claus Award, and the 46th Hasselblad Award in 2026. Furthermore, they were named an Honorary Professor of video and photography at the University of the Arts Bremen in 2013 and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Liège in 2023. Their work has also been recognized through an Infinity Award and an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society.
Fast facts
- Born: 1972, Umlazi, South Africa
- Education: Toronto Metropolitan University
- Key Project: Faces and Phases
- Professional Identity: Photographer and visual activist
- Notable Award: Hasselblad Award (2026)
- Academic Title: Honorary Professor, University of the Arts Bremen
Questions readers ask
Why does Muholi use the term participants instead of subjects?
The term is used to emphasize collaboration and shared agency, allowing individuals to influence their own poses rather than being objects of a photographer's gaze.
What is the focus of the Faces and Phases project?
It is an ongoing series consisting of approximately three hundred portraits of Black lesbians, intended to create a visual archive that counters colonial representations.
