Visual Activism by Zanele Muholi

Award-winning South African photographer, Zanele Muholi, is a force to be reckoned with, and you can tell this simply from glancing briefly at their creations. The artist creates self portraits that make powerful and defiant statements about identity and the right of being, regardless of society’s expectations.

Zanele describes themselves as a ‘visual activist’, often using their art to advocate for South Africa’s Black LGBTQ+ community. We especially love how Zanele reclaims the narrative of Blackness and racial representation by dramatically darkening their skin tone in their self portraits.

Their work reminds us that portraiture can be much more than documentation; it can be used to change society’s narrative.

Some of our favorite Zanele photographs are below.

Visit their blog to learn more about the artist.