Zanele Muholi photography
Zanele Muholi, the internationally renowned South African photographer and visual activist presents the works at MEP Paris.
More than 200 photographs and videos created since the early 2000s as well as numerous archival materials, covers the full breadth of Muholi’s career to date, honouring one of the most acclaimed artists working today.
Zanele Muholi is deeply involved in the community, and their photographic work is inseparable from their life and their activism. Stories are both individual and collective, the artist hopes to give visibility to their community while challenging conventional stereotypes and representations. Bringing to light the uniqueness and diversity of the individuals they picture, Muholi emphasizes their courage and dignity in the face of intolerance and discrimination.
Muholi’s work is created through a collaborative process. They refer to the people they photograph as active “participants” in the work rather than “subjects”; the portrait’s location, clothing and pose are determined together. At times, the artist also turns the camera lens on themself, calling into question the image of Black women in history.
