Zanele Muholi is a household name in the world of visual art. They have dubbed themselves an art activist, a title that seems apt in describing the work that has been portrayed and themes explored by Muholi over the past years.
Their first solo exhibition at the Southern Guild in Cape Town comes after their return from Paris where they exhibited the full scope of their oeuvre.
Muholi’s work has consistently been well-received on a local and global scale, as they continue to fearlessly address hard-hitting themes around gender, sexuality, religion, femininity and the scourge of gender-based violence in South Africa.
A note to Zanele Muholi displayed at the Southern Guild
The current autobiographical exhibition continues to give us more of that, with the mode of expression leaning on self-portraiture.
“Portraiture is my daily prayer,” Zanele Muholi
Making my way towards the entrance of the Southern Guild, images of Muholi adorned in traditional isiZulu waist beads, or ‘umutsha’ clearly screams “red light district, Amsterdam”. The images are from an earlier collection, Being (T)here, Amsterdam from 2009 when Muholi had the Thami Mnyele Foundation Residency.
I’m greeted by an oversized, blown-up image of Muholi. The zoomed-in headshot sets the tone for the intensity that is to follow.
Zanele Muholi’s solo exhibition at the Southern Guild
Restaging Virgin Mary
The next eye-catcher is the 2-metre-high sculpture of Muholi depicted as the Virgin Mary. It is perched against a pure white backdrop resembling three arches, potentially speaking to the Holy Trinity. The sculpture is positioned in the centre, with Muholi draped in white cloth. The stark contrast between the deep black-skinned sculpture and the predominantly white space is telling.
Restaging Virgin Mary by Zanele Muholi
Right across from the restaged Virgin Mary is a larger-than-life sculpture of a solid, black clitoris. The juxtapositioning of the Holy Mother, and the largely taboo feminine pleasure point speaks to the silencing of sexuality and female pleasure within the Catholic Church.
The didactic text speaks on the importance of sacred, spiritual spaces for queer people to practice their faith. In the telling of their journey, they nod to their spiritual home, Victory Ministries Church International (VMCI) in Durban, a space that has made them feel safe to be both Christian and lesbian – an experience the Catholic Church never afforded them.
Catch Zanele Muholi’s self-titled exhibition at the Southern Guild in Cape Town from 15 June – 17 August 2023.
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Feature image: Getty
