Katlego Mashiloane and Nosipho Lavuta, Ext. 2, Lakeside, Johannesburg is a photograph from Muholi’s series “Being” (2006 to present), an ongoing body of work that shows the love shared between lesbian couples. In this image, Muholi offers an image of young love: Two women lean against a wall with limbs intertwined in an unguarded moment of laughter.

Muholi took this photograph at a time when prominent African political figures had dubbed queerness “un-African,” a colonial import from the West. The effect of this rhetoric was evident even in South Africa, which saw a marked rise in anti-queer hate crimes. Muholi’s representation of ordinary, intimate moments of love in “Being” emphasizes the humanity of their lesbian subjects and pushes back against stereotypes.

Regarding the series, Muholi wrote, “It is through seeing ourselves as we find love, laughter, and joy that we can sustain our strength and regain our sanity.”