Zanele Muholi

Faces and Phases 2006-14

Faces and Phases 2006-14 traces Zanele Muholi's journey of 'visual activism' to ensure black queer and transgender visibility. Despite South Africa's progressive Constitution and 20 years of democracy, black lesbians and trans men remain the targets of brutal hate crimes and so-called corrective rapes. Taken over the past eight years, the more than 250 portraits in this book, accompanied by moving testimonies by many of the subjects, present a compelling statement about the lives and struggles of these individuals. They also comprise an unprecedented and invaluable archive: marking, mapping and preserving an often invisible community for posterity.

This beautifully designed book, printed in tritone, also features an introduction by Muholi, a scholarly essay by Gabeba Baderoon, and a timeline of legislation relating to sexuality in Africa, hate crimes, activism and other contextual information. It is co-published by Steidl and The Walther Collection, with support from the Goethe-Institut South Africa.

Published by Steidl and The Walther Collection | 2014
Hardcover, 368 pages | ISBN 978-3-86930-807-4 | Unavailable