Zanele Muholi Hasselblad Award 2026

Excerpts from the exhibition press release by Hasselblad Center, Sweden.

Miss Dvine II, 2007, Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi Hasselblad Award 2026
10 October 2026 – 4 April 2027
Hasselblad Center, Gotenburg, Sweden

The exhibition presents photographs from six series, including the early work Only Half the Picture (2002), which documents lesbians who have survived hate crimes, and the ongoing project Faces & Phases (2006–), created as an act of resistance against systemic violence. In Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness) (2012–), Muholi uses self-portraiture to challenge stereotypes and historical representations of Black bodies.

The exhibition is curated by Louise Wolthers and Dragana Vujanović Östlind of the Hasselblad Foundation, together with Lufuno Ramadwa of the Muholi Art Institute.

Meet Zanele Muholi

8 October, 09:30–12:00, Gothenburg
Hasselblad Award Seminar, Universitetsplatsen 1. Free admission; advance registration through the University of Gothenburg is required.

10 October, 13:00, Gothenburg
Exhibition tour and book signing at Hasselblad Center. No advance registration required. Included with museum admission.

13 October, 17:30–19:00, Stockholm
Artist talk with Zanele Muholi and a lecture by Tawanda Appiah at Moderna Museet. Free admission; advance registration through Moderna Museet is required.

Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi is one of the most influential photographers of our time. Through their visually powerful portraits, they make visible and celebrate the experiences and dignity of Black LGBTQIA+ communities in South Africa and around the world. Born in 1972 under the apartheid regime, Muholi carries a deep awareness of the power of storytelling in the face of oppression and discrimination. Activism and working closely with people are integral to their artistic practice. – Hasselblad Center.