ART INDEX: Zanele Muholi

Art Dealer Street
Jun 16
3 min read

Updated: Jul 4

In these past years, we have been witnessing South Africa’s Zanele Muholi's (b. 1972) ascend from well known visual activist to a sought-after name in the global art market. Their iconic photographic work, rooted in the representation of Black LGBTQ+ communities in South Africa, has been increasingly and steadily expanding its presence in notable art sales, resonating well beyond its local scene and expanding to collectors and cultural institutions worldwide. As Muholi’s pictures continue to challenge the dominant narratives around race, gender, and identity today, the global market has responded with steadily rising valuations and growing institutional support.

Julie I. Parktown, Johannesburg (2016)

The foundation for Muholi’s market success was established years ago, but the momentum has only accelerated in recent seasons. Early on, their work Ntobza Mkhwanazi (2012) from the Faces & Phases series sold for $13,860 at auction, achieving nearly 250% above its estimate. Since then, prices for key works have climbed steadily.

One of the strongest recent results came in 2024 with Jamile, ISGM, Boston, which surpassed its $20,000–$30,000 estimate to realize a hammering price of $27,720, affirming the consistent desirability of Muholi’s signature portraiture. Similarly, Sine II sold for $27,010 the same year at a South African auction, further confirming robust local as well as international demand. Earlier, in 2023, Nolwazi II, Nuoro, Italy dramatically exceeded expectations, more than doubling its estimate, selling at $14,193, proving that even lesser-known images from the artist’s oeuvre are attracting more and more interest.

Notably, Zodwa, Paris (2014) still holds Muholi’s record auction price, selling for approximately $44,500 at Phillips London in 2020. This sale marked a pivotal shift, clearly positioning Muholi in the upper tier of contemporary African artists commanding serious attention on the secondary market.

Zodwa, Paris (2014)

This rise in commercial interest is as always inseparable from the artist's increasing institutional prominence. The landmark 2020–2021 retrospective at Tate Modern was a defining career moment for Muholi, introducing their self-portraits from Somnyama Ngonyama to an even broader public. More exhibitions at SFMOMA in San Francisco, Kunstmuseum Luzern in Switzerland, and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris reinforced his presence in artistic and cultural institutions. Currently, their major solo exhibition at the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah (running until July 2025) continues to draw the attentional of international art professionals, translating into a steady art market presence for the artist.

While Muholi’s auction success has far been, up until today, anchored in photography, their expansion into painting and mixed-media works, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, is beginning to generate serious interest as well. We will have to pay close attention to this new direction.

With African contemporary art fairs like 1-54 in London and New York, and dedicated contemporary African art auctions at houses like Sotheby’s, Phillips, Bonhams, and Strauss & Co., the coming years promise more high-profile opportunities for Muholi’s work to find a spotlight. For collectors and gallerists navigating today’s intersection of culture and capital, Muholi’s work represents an increasingly rare thing: art that is both ethically significant and financially notable. This convergence of activism and investment seems to be getting stronger and stronger, with the numbers, exhibitions, and collector enthusiasm that keep proving it.