Zanele Muholi’s Work on Black Queer Identity

zanele muholi scad define art exhibition black queer identity artworks sculptures

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

Scad Define Art

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SCAD Savannah – Winter 2025 – deFINEart – Exhibitions – Zanele Muholi – “Zanele Muholi” – Documentation – SCAD Museum of Art, Gallery 110 – Photography Courtesy of SCAD

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SCAD deFINE ART 2025 honors Zanele Muholi, a South African visual activist known for documenting Black queer identity and marginalized communities. Through photography, film and sculpture, Muholi challenges stereotypes and highlights the need for representation.

The exhibition features key works, including Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness), a series of black-and-white self-portraits where Muholi transforms everyday objects into powerful symbols of race and body politics. Brave Beauties celebrates trans women and nonbinary individuals in empowered poses, while Faces and Phases documents Black lesbians in South Africa facing discrimination. A new series of lightbox self-portraits continues Muholi’s exploration of identity and visibility.

Muholi describes their work as a tool for representation, offering a reference point for LGBTQI individuals and their families. Their activism extends beyond the studio, with initiatives like the Muholi Art Institute, which provides arts education and supports emerging creatives.

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