Zanele Muholi

Yancey Richardson congratulates Zanele Muholi on receiving the 2026 Hasselblad Award, the world’s most prestigious photography award, founded in 1980. Muholi stands as one of the most influential contemporary photographers, with an impact that reaches far beyond the art world. They have paved new ground in their use of photography in visual activism, first and foremost in a relentless fight for claiming visibility, dignity and respect for Black queer subjects in South Africa and the rest of the world.

Born in 1972 during the apartheid regime, Zanele Muholi is highly aware of the power of narration in the face of systematic violence. Their portraits foreground individuals with a direct and dignified gaze, challenging prejudice and discrimination while creating alternative visual histories. Activism and community work is an integral part of their practice, which combines both political urgency and formal mastery.