2015
(South African, b. 1972)
Gelatin silver print
Image: 49.5 x 43.2 cm (19 1/2 x 17 in.); Framed: 52.2 x 45.2 x 4.4 cm (20 9/16 x 17 13/16 x 1 3/4 in.)
Dudley P. Allen Fund 2016.40
© Zanele Muholi. Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, and Stevenson Cape Town / Johannesburg
Edition: Edition of 8
This self-portrait is from a series called Hail the Dark Lioness.
Zanele Muholi’s bold, self-possessed stare and high piles of tresses suggest the power of 17th-century French kings and of kings of the jungle, but white and gold are replaced by dark tones. “By exaggerating the darkness of my skin tone,” says Muholi, “I'm reclaiming my blackness, which I feel is continuously performed by the privileged other.”
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.