Fancy black and white portraits

South African photographer Zanele Mucholi creates amazing self-portraits for his series called Somnyama Ngonyama, which from Zulu means “I greet the dark lioness”. His work consists primarily of the simplest household items, a clothespin, sunglasses, wire sponges that are “embedded” in complex hairstyles and costumes, emphasizing the radical individuality.

The photographer himself says: “I create this photographic document to encourage people in my community to be courageous enough to create without fear of being deceived. To teach people of our history, to rethink what history is, to return it to yourself - to encourage people to use artistic tools, such as cameras, as a weapon to fight. ”
Entire series of works created by Zanele found their refuge in galleries in the UK and America.

Mukholi currently lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa, is an honorary professor at the University of the Arts in Bremen, Germany. He is a co-founder of the Women's Empowerment Forum.
A photographer is an artist; through a camera, he shows us life from an unusual angle. Rather, with the usual, but for a deeper and substantive rethinking of what is happening in the world. The value of his work is hidden in the simplicity and character of a single style.