Southern Guild Los Angeles proudly presents Faces and Phases 19, a landmark solo exhibition by acclaimed South African visual artist and activist Zanele Muholi. Spanning nearly two decades of work, this powerful and deeply personal series stands as a radical act of visual activism, documenting the lives, strength and beauty of Black lesbian, bisexual, Trans and gender non-conforming individuals around the world.
First begun in 2006, Faces and Phases has grown into a living archive of almost 1,000 portraits. What began as a project focused on South African Queer women has expanded to include participants from the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil and Portugal. Each image adds to a growing global narrative of Black Queer visibility, resilience and resistance — told by those who live it.
Defiance Through Portraiture
With their stark black-and-white format and minimal staging, Muholi’s portraits do more than document — they confront. Each subject meets the camera with an unwavering gaze, challenging the viewer to look beyond the margins imposed by race, gender, and sexuality. The intensity of this gaze turns each photograph into a statement of presence. These portraits are not passive images but bold assertions of identity, dignity and power.
In an age when Queer communities — particularly Black and Trans bodies — are facing renewed threats, Muholi’s work offers not just representation, but radical solidarity. This edition of Faces and Phases, coinciding with Pride Month in Los Angeles, directly responds to global forces of erasure and violence, particularly in the current political climate of the United States.
A Living, Breathing Archive
Unlike static portraits found in traditional galleries or colonial archives, Faces and Phases is dynamic. Muholi often revisits and rephotographs participants over time, acknowledging the fluidity of identity and the ongoing nature of Queer life. These evolving images refuse to fix people in a moment or define them by trauma. Instead, they celebrate transformation, complexity and self-expression.
The work is accompanied by participant interviews and personal testimonies, amplifying each person’s voice alongside their image. This holistic approach resists voyeurism and instead fosters connection, empathy and recognition.
Community, Care and Celebration
At its heart, Faces and Phases 19 is a project rooted in love — for the community it documents, and for the political urgency of being seen. Southern Guild has curated a programme of talks, workshops and community events to run alongside the exhibition, inviting conversation and reflection within and beyond the Queer community.
Muholi’s practice is not only artistic but activist, and their work continues to challenge how art institutions and society at large engage with representation, identity and power. By centring the participants as co-creators of their own narratives, Faces and Phases offers a bold alternative to traditional documentary work.
A Must-See This Summer
Whether you are familiar with Zanele Muholi’s work or discovering it for the first time, Faces and Phases 19 is an unmissable exhibition — one that speaks with clarity, depth and heart. It is a reminder of art’s capacity to heal, to confront, and to honour lives too often left unseen.
Visit Southern Guild Los Angeles from 16 May to 6 September 2025 to experience this extraordinary celebration of Black Queer life — proud, powerful and unafraid.