Join us on Friday 17th January from 2 pm to 3 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm at Tate Modern (Starr Cinema) to close the end of the Zanele Muholi exhibition at the Tate. Get free access to the exhibition on the day, closing officially on 26th January. The evening will be about celebrating Black queer identities and coming together to learn more about Zanele Muholi's Faces and Phases project in the UK.
The day and evening sessions will bring together some of the participants from South Africa who are in the existing exhibition as well as some of the faces from the London queer community to discuss the importance of visibility, storytelling, and archiving of Queer Black stories.
Speakers: Zanele Muholi, Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir, Lerato Dumse (SA), Collen Mfazwe(SA), Thembela Dick (SA) plus special London guests.
- Free tickets included to the Zanele Muholi exhibition before 6 pm
- Doors open at 2 pm for discussion at Starr Cinema, with discussions until 3 pm.
- Doors open at 6 pm for discussion at Starr Cinema for the evening, discussions 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
- Social and mingle until 9 pm
About Zanele Muholi and the Exhibition
Zanele Muholi is a renowned South African photographer and visual activist whose work celebrates and documents the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ communities. Their major exhibition, featuring over 260 photographs, spans their career, starting in the early 2000s. Muholi’s Only Half the Picture series portrays love, intimacy, and trauma, highlighting ongoing violence against LGBTQIA+ people despite South Africa's progressive 1996 constitution. In Faces and Phases, subjects confront viewers with direct gazes, forming a powerful archive of authenticity and resistance. Other series include Brave Beauties, celebrating non-binary and trans empowerment, and Being, tenderly portraying couples to challenge stereotypes. In Somnyama Ngonyama ("Hail the Dark Lioness"), Muholi turns the lens on themself, addressing themes like racism and sexual politics. This exhibition, including new works, showcases their impactful artistry and activism.
Above photo of Zanele Muholi Qiniso, The Sails, Durban 2019 © Zanele Muholi Courtesy of the Artist and Yancey Richardson, New York.
South Africa Faces and Phases - Community Members
Photos by Zanele Muholi, Faces and Phases South Africa.
About Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir
Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir is a visionary cultural producer, activist, and community builder. She is a Director at The Common Press, London’s intersectional queer bookshop in East London, and is also the founder of Moonlight Experiences, an award-winning LGBTQI+ travel company. With a decade of experience, Aisha has been a trailblazer in championing diverse queer spaces and building communities both locally and globally through travel and cultural initiatives. Aisha has been instrumental in developing impactful campaigns, curating festivals, and collaborating with leading brands and institutions within an intersectional framework. Aisha’s activism also includes her roles as Head of Community Engagement for UK Black Pride and Trustee for GiveOut, an international LGBTQI+ charity dedicated to funding and advancing LGBTQI+ rights worldwide.
Photo by Zanele Muholi, Faces and Phases, London, 2024
Address: The Starr Cinema - Tate Modern Bankside, Level 1, Natalie Bell Building, London, SE1 9TG