Zanele Muholi (Umlazi, Durban 1972) is a South African photographer and visual activist.
Zanele Muholi's photographs are a direct response to the epidemic of 'curative rapes' and murders of black lesbians and queer people in South Africa today. As a self-described 'visual activist', Muholi seeks to challenge the status quo with intimate portraits of the LGBTQI South African experience.
Muholi is the recipient of numerous awards, including: the Index on Censorship award for Freedom of Expression (2013), London; the LGBTI Recognition Award for the Best Photographer (2012), Johannesburg; the Casa Africa Award for Best Female Photographer (2009), Bamako; and the Fanny Ann Eddy Accolade from IRN-Africa (2009), New York. Muholi's photographs have been exhibited around the world, most significantly at the South African Pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale, Italy and in 2012 at dOCUMENTA (13) in Kassel, Germany. In 2009, Muholi founded the queer media collective Inkanyiso
Muholi was honoured with a prestigious Prince Claus Award, presented to the artist in Amsterdam on 11 December 2013.
She was a guest at the Thami Mnyele studio during the period July-September 2009, and this year she is again guest at the studio, in the month December 2013.
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Stevenson Gallery
Guggenheim Foundation
Tate Modern
inkanyiso.org