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Zanele Muholi — Kodwa II, Amsterdam
Zanele Muholi — Kodwa II, Amsterdam
Zanele Muholi — Kodwa II, Amsterdam
Zanele Muholi

Kodwa II, Amsterdam

2017

Kodwa II, Amsterdam (2017) presents Zanele Muholi's self-portrait in monumental scale, printed in UV-cured ink on aluminium at 225 × 150 × 3 cm. The work belongs to Muholi's landmark series Somnyama Ngonyama, a Zulu phrase translating to "Hail the Dark Lioness," in which the artist deliberately deepens the tones of their own skin in post-production to confront and reclaim narratives around Blackness, beauty, and visibility. In this Amsterdam iteration, Muholi appears adorned with sculptural, improvised headwear constructed from everyday materials, commanding the frame with an unflinching directness that refuses the voyeuristic gaze historically imposed upon Black subjects in photographic representation. The choice of aluminium as a substrate is integral to the work's effect. The material's reflective surface introduces a subtle luminosity beneath the image, lending Muholi's figure an almost icon-like presence that shifts with ambient light and the viewer's position. UV-cured ink preserves the extraordinary tonal range and contrast that define this body of work, from the richest shadows to the carefully composed highlights that articulate form and dignity in equal measure. The large scale is equally deliberate, demanding that the figure occupy space with authority in any room it inhabits. Signed by the artist and offered through Southern Guild, Kodwa II, Amsterdam represents a significant opportunity to acquire a work from one of the most critically consequential photographic practices of the twenty-first century. Muholi, who holds the title of Honorary Professor at the University of the Arts Bremen and has exhibited at institutions including Tate Modern and the Venice Biennale, continues to reshape conversations around representation, identity, and activism through a visual language of extraordinary rigor and emotional force.

Medium
UV-cured ink, aluminium
Overall
Signed
Yes
Location
Southern Guild, Cape Town, Western Cape

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About this work

Zanele Muholi, Kodwa II, Amsterdam, 2017

Kodwa II, Amsterdam (2017) presents Zanele Muholi's self-portrait in monumental scale, printed in UV-cured ink on aluminium at 225 × 150 × 3 cm. The work belongs to Muholi's landmark series Somnyama Ngonyama, a Zulu phrase translating to "Hail the Dark Lioness," in which the artist deliberately deepens the tones of their own skin in post-production to confront and reclaim narratives around Blackness, beauty, and visibility. In this Amsterdam iteration, Muholi appears adorned with sculptural, improvised headwear constructed from everyday materials, commanding the frame with an unflinching directness that refuses the voyeuristic gaze historically imposed upon Black subjects in photographic representation. The choice of aluminium as a substrate is integral to the work's effect. The material's reflective surface introduces a subtle luminosity beneath the image, lending Muholi's figure an almost icon-like presence that shifts with ambient light and the viewer's position. UV-cured ink preserves the extraordinary tonal range and contrast that define this body of work, from the richest shadows to the carefully composed highlights that articulate form and dignity in equal measure. The large scale is equally deliberate, demanding that the figure occupy space with authority in any room it inhabits. Signed by the artist and offered through Southern Guild, Kodwa II, Amsterdam represents a significant opportunity to acquire a work from one of the most critically consequential photographic practices of the twenty-first century. Muholi, who holds the title of Honorary Professor at the University of the Arts Bremen and has exhibited at institutions including Tate Modern and the Venice Biennale, continues to reshape conversations around representation, identity, and activism through a visual language of extraordinary rigor and emotional force.

Medium
UV-cured ink, aluminium
Dimensions
overall: 225 x 150 x 3 cm
Year
2017
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Southern Guild, Cape Town, Western Cape

Related themes

Aluminium Mounted, Photographic Print, South African Art, LGBTQ+ Artist, Black And White, Identity Politics, Contemporary Art, Self-Portrait, Portrait Photography

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