Bambatha I

This work is part of the series Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness), in which Muholi addresses issues of identity, racism and colonial legacy. Their own body emerges from a writhing mass of shapes. It represents the feeling of being trapped when your body does not match your gender identity. A conflict between how you feel and how the world sees you.

The title refers to a rebellion against British rule in South Africa in 1906. Historical resistance meets the contemporary struggle for LGBTQ+ and black rights.

Bambatha I makes black, queer bodies visible in the art world and attempts to break through traditional standards of beauty. The work is not only visually impressive, but also a powerful statement about pride, pain, survival and the search for self-acceptance.

Zanele Muholi (1972, South Africa) is an artist and activist who documents the lives of black LGBTQI+ communities in South Africa, because society does not know or ignores them. Their work, mainly photography, is shown worldwide, from Tate Modern to the Venice Biennale. Muholi has recently also started making sculptures. Their mission: to rewrite a black, queer and trans visual archive — as an act of visibility and resistance.