Zanele Muholi brings 20 years of ‘Faces and Phases’ back to Johannesburg

Zanele Muholi is bringing back 20 years of their photographic project "Faces and Phases" to Johannesburg, just days after receiving one of the world's top photography awards. The exhibition, titled "Sibaningi" (meaning "we are many" in isiZulu), will open at the Market Photo Workshop in Newtown on October 17. This comes just days after Muholi is set to receive the 2026 Hasselblad Award in Gothenburg, Sweden, making them the first Black queer African photographer to receive the prestigious honor.

Muholi's "Faces and Phases" began in Johannesburg in 2006, growing out of their desire to document Black lesbian, transgender, and gender-nonconforming individuals whose lives were often overlooked in mainstream representations. The project has evolved into a vast photographic archive, focusing not only on stories of discrimination and violence but also on the identities, relationships, work, communities, and everyday lives of its subjects.

By revisiting some participants after years, Muholi has created a visual record of how people and their circumstances evolve over time.

The Johannesburg exhibition will feature both early and recent portraits, as well as new faces continuing the project. It will also coincide with the launch of a book centered on the "Faces and Phases" body of work. Muholi hopes this exhibition will serve as a reminder that Black LGBTQIA+ people should be seen and remembered on their own terms, emphasizing that the recognition is shared with the many individuals whose stories have been documented in the series.

The exhibition will be produced by the Muholi Art Institute and curated by Lufuno Ramadwa, opening on October 17 at the Market Photo Workshop in Newtown.