Siphe, Johannesburg
"Siphe, Johannesburg" is a gelatin silver print by South African photographer Zanele Muholi that forms part of her ongoing documentary project exploring the lives and identities of Black lesbian communities in South Africa. The work exemplifies Muholi's commitment to centering marginalized bodies and experiences through portraiture, using the materiality of silver gelatin printing to create intimate yet formally powerful images. Shot in Johannesburg, the photograph addresses themes of visibility, dignity, and resistance within contexts of social and historical erasure.
- Medium
- Gelatin silver print.
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Photographs
April 2, 2025
Lot 146
Artists in conversation
Dawit L. Petros
Eritrean-Canadian · b. 1972
Petros works in black and white documentary photography that centers African identity and marginalized communities with a formal minimalist aesthetic, drawing strong parallels to Muholi's commitment to visibility and social commentary through portraiture.
Rotimi Fani-Kayode
Nigerian-British · b. 1955
Fani-Kayode created powerful black and white photographic portraits exploring Black queer identity and bodies with deliberate formal intensity, directly mirroring Muholi's dual focus on LGBTQ visibility and the dignified representation of Black subjects.
Zwelethu Mthethwa
South African · b. 1960
As a fellow South African documentary photographer, Mthethwa similarly uses formal portraiture to give visibility to marginalized Black South African communities, sharing Muholi's grounding in social commentary and intimate engagement with overlooked subjects.
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