In 2006, South Africa passed the Civil Union Bill. The legislation legalised same-sex marriage and civil partnership, making it the first country in Africa to do so. It was undeniably a victory for equality and progress, but for many LGBTQIA+ people, the reality was very different. Homophobic, transphobic and patriarchal violence remained widespread, with Black queer individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds finding themselves at high risk of violent, often fatal, hate crimes. One distressing example is聽21-year-old Motshidisi Pascalina, who in 2016 was murdered for her sexuality. Afterwards, Bontle Kahlo, from a local Pride group, told the BBC: 鈥淲omen are less than men. If you鈥檙e a Black woman, you are even less, and if you鈥檙e a Black lesbian woman you are basically nothing in this country.鈥澛
The same year that the Civil Union Bill came into effect, photographer Zanele Muholi (b. 1972) began to create聽Faces and Phases.聽The seminal project, inspired by both love and loss, documents the lives of Black lesbian, bisexual and queer women, and Trans and gender non-conforming people. In the face of the LGBTQIA+ community鈥檚 experience of collective grief 鈥撀爋ften exacerbated in the media by traumatising imagery or faceless statistics 鈥 Muholi sought to assert a counternarrative.聽Faces and Phases聽depicts Black lesbian life as beautiful, defiant and, crucially, normal. In the 19 years since its inception, the series has grown in size and reach, initially focusing on South Africa, before expanding to Brazil, Portugal, the UK and USA. The iconic body of work comprises a collection of close to 1,000 photographs, collectively forming a 鈥渓iving Queer archive.鈥 It鈥檚 been exhibited extensively around the world, including at the South African Pavilion of the 2013 Venice Biennale, Tate Modern, London, and Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York. Now,聽Faces and Phases聽reaches new audiences at Southern Guild, Los Angeles.聽
Muholi is one of the most acclaimed artists working today, describing themselves as a 鈥渧isual activist.鈥 For Muholi, art and advocacy are indistinguishable, and the camera is a tool for liberation. In the early series聽Only Half the Picture,聽the seeds of聽Faces and Phases聽were sewn. The images capture moments of love and intimacy, whilst alluding to traumatic events experienced by the subjects. In one, a bare leg shows a thick scar, whilst in another, titled聽Hate Crime Survivor II,聽a figure lies curled on a hospital bed. Other series include聽Brave Beauties,聽which celebrates empowered non-binary people and Trans women, and聽叠别颈苍驳,听a collection of tender portraits of couples. Muholi is a powerful, necessary voice in the ongoing pursuit of safety, equality and justice. In an interview with the聽Guardian, they said: 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 true photography 鈥 to say you were present.鈥 The statement gets to the heart of their practice. In their hands, images act as a living, evolving testament to what it means to move through the world as a queer person today.聽
This legacy is palpable in聽Faces and Phases,聽a project many would consider Muholi鈥檚 magnum opus. Each image features one individual, who stares directly into the camera, meeting the eye of the viewer with confidence. Sakinah, a LA-based participant, finds freedom in the creative approach: 鈥渟eeing someone else鈥檚 expression broadens your ability to be human.鈥 Yet, the direct stares also echo both colonial archives and present-day prejudices. To exist as a Black, queer person in a society that uses their existence as a battleground for political and social wars is, in the words of Muholi, 鈥渓ike everyone is looking at you no matter what direction you take.鈥 The subjects turn this gaze back on the world, challenging the audience to reflect on their own perspective and preconceived ideas of gender and sexuality.聽
The artist spends time building up a relationship with potential subjects, and the act of creation is also an emotional labour for Muholi. The artist lays the foundations for any photoshoot by interviewing and documenting testimonials, a process that shapes how, or even if, someone become part of the series. Listening is a central ethic and strategic part of their practice. Muholi also revisits and rephotographs people over the years, recording how time and the fluidity of identity can change how a person presents themselves. Individuals transition, their pronouns changing, sometimes along with their voices, muscle mass and facial hair. Faces and Phases聽does not pretend to 鈥渃onclude鈥 the impossible task of queer representation. Instead, it commits to remaining alive with the tensions of its community through continued engagement.聽
This current iteration is hosted in Los Angeles, in reaction to the current US administration, which, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, has systematically enacted measures to restrict Trans bodies. In the past five years, legislation aiming to stifle the rights of transgender people has been introduced in 49 of the 50 states. According to the London School of Economics, there have been 910 anti-transgender bills introduced so far in 2025, covering the right to use public restrooms, access to gender affirming healthcare, preferred pronouns and participation in sports. These moves have global consequences, including the withdrawal of funding from Global South initiatives that provide support and healthcare to LGBTQIA+ communities, including in South Africa. There is a bold and defiant energy in聽Faces and Phases,聽which prioritises the invitation, inclusion and celebration of all queer people.聽
In its hundreds of portraits,聽Faces and Phases聽embraces every facet of LGBTQIA+ life. Muholi reckons with the dark, often traumatic realities of existing in a queer, Black body, confronting the viewer with a challenge: we must do better. Yet the series does not give in to despair, instead the artist offers their subjects the agency and dignity they deserve, acknowledging the fluidity of sexuality and identity. This is a story of queer love, queer joy and, most importantly, queer existence.聽
Zanele Muholi: Faces and Phases 19 is at Southern Guild, LA until 30 August:
Words: Emma Jacob
Image Credits:
2. Yvonne Taylor, London, 2024. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
3. Zyi Saenz, Los Angeles, 2024. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
4. Maria Victoria Costa Matos (‘Angelco’), Salvador, 2025. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
5. Jo茫o Vitar Gomes de Souza (‘Vittor Ad茅l’), Salvador, 2025. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
6. Samara Said Ferreira R茫go, Casa de Cultura Marielle Franco, Salvador, 2025. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
7. Tia Sippin T Simon-Campbell, The Common Press, Lonndon, 2024. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
8. Kukua Dada do Carmo Rezende, Salvador, 2025. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
9. Jo茫o Vitor Santos Goncei莽茫o (‘Roma’), Salvador, 2025. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
10. Tiara Kelly, Los Angeles, 2024. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
11. Dom (Viktor Dominik Yasser Figueiredo), Salvador, 2025. Courtesy Zanele Muholi; Southern Guild, Cape Town/Los Angeles; and Yancey Richardson, New York. 漏 Zanele Muholi.
