Tag: zanele muholi

David Goldblatt at Pace Gallery

Late South African photographer David Goldblatt didn’t leave it to chance that his photos would be read without context, titling them with notes on their circumstances.  Currently on view at Pace Gallery in an exhibition curated by South African photographer Zanele Muholi, who worked and trained in Goldblatt’s studio, the photos consider visibility of women, segregation, privilege, labor conditions and more.  Here, Goldblatt records the forced removal of Black families from land designated by the government as ‘white.’  (On view in Chelsea through March 27th).

David Goldblatt, Luke Kgatitsoe at his house, bulldozed in February 1984 by the government after the forced removal of the people of Mapoga, a black-owned farm, which had been declared a “black spot,” Ventersdorp district, Transvaal, 21 October 1986, gelatin silver hand print, 6 ¼ x 7 7/8 inches.

Zanele Muholi and Morgan Mahape in ‘African Spirits’ at Yossi Milo Gallery

Zanele Muholi’s ‘Somnyama Ngonyama’ (Hail the Dark Lioness) photo series features the South African activist and artist modeling dramatic outfits that on closer inspection turn out to be composed of everyday household items.  Muholi’s source image for this beaded panel created with fellow South African artist Morgan Mahape involved a headdress crafted from donut-shaped scouring pads, an important detail that’s less apparent here.  Muholi’s softer look and averted gaze are less confrontational than the series’ other powerful images but the piece reads as a tribute to an artist who uses her own body to challenge perceptions and prompt reflection.  (On view in ‘African Spirits’ at Yossi Milo Gallery through August 23rd).

Zanele Muholi and Morgan Mahape, Somnyama Ngonyama, beads on string, wooden panel, approximately 84 x 60 inches, 2019.

Zanele Muholi at Yancey Richardson Gallery

Zanele Muholi’s towering self-portrait dramatically dominates her ‘Hail, the Dark Lioness’ photo series at Yancey Richardson Gallery, challenging viewers to reconcile the South African artist-activist’s ‘exotic’ characters with political realities in Africa and the US. (On view in Chelsea through Dec 9th).

Zanele Muholi, Ntozabantu VI, Parktown, site-specific photographic mural, 2016.