South African photographer Zanele Muholi: My mother worked for a white family. I remember the pools I wasn't allowed to swim in'

"I can't say it's winning, because that's like you entered a competition, they say. This is more a recognition, that is a dream for most of us who are doing photography or who are visualising a work that is not often recognised. It's an honour for our people, for the Black LGBTQIA+ community from home it's for all of us, the queer and trans community in Africa."

"I'm made by the community. I'm shaped by women, who are the forces in all that I do. I move with the community, with or without resources, with or without recognition. It's how it has been. I love my people. I love being part of movements, because that's where we heal, really."

Zanele Muholi, a South African non-binary artist, has been awarded the 2026 Hasselblad Award, joining the ranks of photography's most celebrated practitioners. Rather than viewing this as a personal victory, Muholi frames it as recognition for the Black LGBTQIA+ and queer and trans communities in Africa. Throughout nearly 30 years of practice, Muholi has focused on documenting, empowering, and supporting their community through collaborative work. Born in 1972 in Umlazi township during apartheid, Muholi's artistic practice is fundamentally shaped by collective movements and relationships with women and marginalized communities. Their work has received international acclaim, including a Tate Modern retrospective that was reinstated years after its initial pandemic-affected run.

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