Last year, South African photographer Zanele Muholi was named the most powerful female artist in Africa by Art Review magazine. The Design Indaba alumna's self-portraiture is an intimate look at gender and its place in society. Muholi’s latest exhibition, Somnyama Ngonyama (meaning Hail, the dark lioness) is a departure from her renowned, ongoing documentation of the black LGBTI community of South Africa. Turning the camera on herself, Muholi explores race, gender and key moments in South Africa’s history such as the Marikana massacre.
At Design Indaba Conference 2014, Muholi spoke about her photographic journey and how it led her to understand the importance of preserving and documenting the history of LGBTI individuals and communities through photography. In a special feature on the conference stage, Muholi spoke alongside performance artist Athi-Patra Ruga and award-winning multimedia artist Nandipha Mntambo.
Watch the interview below, or see the full talk.
More of Muholi's latest work can be found at the Stevenson gallery, including an ongoing series, Brave Beauties.
