Renowned South African visual artist and activist Zanele Muholi has been honoured with the prestigious 2026 Hasselblad Award. This award, considered one of the world's most significant photography awards, acknowledges Muholi's decades-long work documenting black queer lives. The award was formally presented in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 9 October 2026, and comes with a gold medal, a Hasselblad camera, and two million Swedish kronor, approximately R3.3-million.
Muholi's photographic practice has built an expansive archive of black queer life and self-representation. Their work has produced some of the most distinctive and memorable artistic contributions to contemporary South African culture. By foregrounding historically marginalised people in the LGBTQIA+ community, Muholi has evoked long-lasting emotional connections. Their stark use of black-and-white imagery draws observers into the worlds contained in the frame.
The Hasselblad Award exhibition, titled Zanele Muholi: Hasselblad Award 2026, will run until 4 April next year. The exhibition draws from six of Muholi's bodies of work, including Only Half the Picture, Faces and Phases, and Somnyama Ngonyama. Each series explores the visibility, dignity, and beauty of black queer, lesbian, and trans lives. These works exemplify Muholi's evolution as an artist and an archivist.
Faces and Phases is a prominent series, intended as a counter-archive to document black queer and trans resistance and existence. Hasselblad has called it a seminal body of contemporary photographic work. Only Half the Picture illustrates the link between visual activism and documenting violence, while Somnyama Ngonyama expands on representation and agency over blackness.
Visibility, representation, archival importance, and autonomy are key tenets of Muholi's work. These foundations have set their visual activism apart and brought narrative control over black queer and African representation to its rightful custodians. The Hasselblad recognition is an institutional acknowledgement of both the work and the authority of those who tell these stories.
Muholi has stated that the award is not theirs alone, but rather a recognition of the many faces, names, and histories that have trusted them with their stories. This responsibility has been consistently carried throughout their practice, not in place of the community, but in service to it.
The award and exhibition are a testament to Muholi's distinguished career and the impact of their visual activism. As the 46th recipient of the Hasselblad Award, Muholi's work will continue to inspire and bring attention to the importance of representation and self-representation.
Key points
- Zanele Muholi is the 46th recipient of the prestigious Hasselblad Award.
- The award comes with a gold medal, a Hasselblad camera, and two million Swedish kronor, approximately R3.3-million.
- Muholi's work has brought narrative control over black queer and African representation to its rightful custodians.
