Zanele
Muholi

Zanele Muholi's photographs feature female models, including herself, constantly question the status of black and lesbian women in South African society. Calling her work "visual activism", she strongly develops art that is both introspective and militant.

Her beautiful, technically skilful portraits are often covered with black paint, like armour to protect the subjects from the patriarchal and homophobic violence that threatens them every day. Muholi goes against stereotypes, playing with the constraints of gender to better deconstruct them. Sometimes in her works she defines herself as "mnafa", boy in Zulu.

Her photographic work will be shown for the first time by the Pinault Collection during the “Au-delà de la couleur” (“Beyond Colour”) exhibition at the Couvent des Jacobins in Rennes in June 2021.