The exhibition also features selections from Brave Beauties, a series highlighting trans women and nonbinary people in empowered poses, and Faces and Phases, a series started in 2006 in response to the violence and discrimination faced by Black lesbians in South Africa.

Muholi has since photographed subjects across the world, including most recently, in Los Angeles, the UK and Brazil. Additionally, a never-before-seen group of Somnyama images will be presented in lightbox format. Through these works, Muholi re-envisions Black Queer representation, while simultaneously challenging pervasive stereotypes and offering an empathetic and emboldened perspective of the human condition.

Muholi has been named thedeFINE ART honoree for 2025 and will deliver two honoree lectures following the opening of the exhibition. The first takes place on 26 February in Savannah (Trustees Theatre) and will see Muholi in conversation with MoMA Black Arts Council Executive Committee Member, GuildHall Trustee and ‘Cerebral Women Art Talks’ podcast host Phyllis Hollis. The second takes place on 27 February in Atlanta (at FORTY) when Muholi will be joined by writer, editor and photographer Carla J. Williams. Williams contributed to the first volume of Somnyama Ngonyama.

Both events are free and open to the public, and presented as part of SCAD deFINE ART 2025.

The exhibition will run until 6 July 2025.

ABOUT deFINE ART

An annual event at SCAD showcasing both emerging and established artists through exhibitions, lectures, performances and public events. The event showcases emerging and established artists through exhibitions, lectures, performances, and public events. Previous honorees include Iván Argote, Cao Fei, Awol Erizku, Holly Hendry, Cindy Ji Hye Kim, Carla Fernández, Pedro Reyes, Jorge Pardo, Katharina Grosse and Azikiwe Mohammed.