Zanele Muholi Wins 2026 Hasselblad Award for Photography and Visual Activism

Zanele Muholi has been awarded the prestigious Hasselblad Award for 2026, joining the ranks of esteemed photographers such as Alfredo Jaar and Cindy Sherman. Since its inception in 1980, the award comprises a gold medal, a camera, a solo exhibition, and SEK 2,000,000. Muholi's artistic focus centers on visual activism for Black queer communities in South Africa, highlighted in works like Somnyama Ngonyama and Faces and Phases, capturing LGBTQIA+ experiences amidst violence, despite the constitutional equality established in 1996. "This prize is not mine alone," Muholi remarked. In 2022, they established the Muholi Visual Art Institute, building on previous initiatives like Inkanyiso. The Hasselblad Center will host a solo exhibition from 10 October to 4 April, with the awards ceremony set for 9 October.