Centre

Zanele Muholi's Sine II is a captivating large-sized black and white photograph of a single figure: A person emerges from the inky depths of the background holding a pillow in one hand, their eyes staring firmly into ours. Their locks are adorned with three combs, one on either side, while the last is arranged horizontally at the edge of their hairline, forming a headdress of combs. It is the artist themself. This remarkable work of art invokes the power of self-documentation by reclaiming both the lens and the gaze.

Muholi began their practice with photographing their fellow Black Queer community members in South Africa as a way to assert their existence. Series like Faces and Phases, became a statement of defiance; ways to see, recognize, and remember. Sine II, and other self-portraits, represent the artist’s intention to give space to their own lived experiences. It is as much a document of legacy as it is a meditation of self: “I’ve listened to so many people’s pain, and it meant I had to sleep with that pain when people moved on with their lives. When do photographers get time to deal with their own pain and be given their space to do it?” [1] Sine II is a reminder of the importance of self-inquiry.

Muholi’s response to the abuse and discrimination faced by their community is to contribute and invest in the Black, Queer, and Trans visual history of South Africa, and even the Diaspora at large. Muholi confronts those realities and envisions the possibilities of transformation, freedom, and futurity.