SCAD deFINE ART 2025 honoree Zanele Muholi

The SCAD Museum of Art proudly recognizes South African artist and visual activist Zanele Muholi (b. 1972, Umlazi, South Africa) as the SCAD deFINE ART 2025 honoree. From the early 2000s, Muholi has used the medium of photography and sculpture to explore issues of gender identity, representation, and race.

Through their arresting self-portraits and documentation of their LGBTQ+ community in South Africa, Muholi challenges gender stereotypes, honors lived experiences, and emphasizes the vital need for visibility and agency. Their work calls attention to the trauma and violence they have faced while celebrating their beauty and resilience.

The conversation was recorded on the occasion of the opening of their SCAD Museum of Art exhibition Zanele Muholi, which features several landmark series including Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness), Faces and Phases, and Brave Beauties, as well as new self-portraits in lightbox format.