Somnyama I, Paris, from the series Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Black Lioness),

2014

<p> In the more than eighty black-and-white self-portraits that compose the series <em>Somnyama Ngonyama </em>(Hail the Dark Lioness), Sir Zanele Muholi uses their body to explore racial, gender, and queer identity and representation in South Africa. The images prominently feature regal headdresses and other adornments crafted from repurposed materials, which resonate with historical and contemporary South African life. Staged in cities around the world, the series brings South African sociopolitical issues to light in global contexts. </p> <p> Pushing the tonal range of gelatin silver prints to expressive ends, Muholi intentionally exaggerated the darkness of their skin to critique the use of blackface by white performers and to address the exoticized images of Black people in the history of ethnographic photography. Muholi’s skin, which appears here a smooth obsidian, is broken by the white of their gaze. The unapologetic stare is a reminder of Muholi’s self-determined position as sitter, photographer, and author of their own narrative. </p>