For almost a decade photographer and visual activist Zanele Muholi has been bringing visibility to the black lesbian and trans male communities in South Africa, who continually undergo heinous hate crimes, stigma, and sexual assault.

In her portrait series Faces and Phases (2006-14) she photographed more 250 South African lesbians in an attempt to archive an invisible community and address their plight . Her mesmerizing black-and-white portraits have infinite depth, telling haunting stories through a single look.

Muholi herself has undergone hardships for her art: in 2012 thieves broke into her Cape Town apartment and stole over 20 hard drives with years of photographic documentation, highlighting the sensitivity of the issue she’s covering.

Isibonelo/Evidence at the Brooklyn Museum is the most comprehensive museum exhibition of Muholi’s art to date. It runs from May 1–November 1. The 87 works on display include portraits from “Faces and Phases,” her recent video Being Scene, and works from her Weddings series. The last two focus on love and intimacy in South Africa’s LGBTI community.

See seven stunning highlights from the exhibit here.