PNCA’s 511 Gallery is pleased to welcome artist Wangechi Mutu to PNCA as part of the Jordan D. Schnitzer Exhibition and Visiting Artist Series.
Wangechi Mutu is a trained sculptor and studied anthropology but first came to prominence through her collage works, which fuse a diversity of sources culled from the image gluttony of late 20th century and early 21st century life. Mutu draws from the aesthetics of traditional ritual arts, science fiction, and Afrofuturistic funkdaleia. She makes use of materials from 19th century prints, fashion magazines, scientific periodicals, pornography, and ethnographic photographs to explore the contradictions of female and cultural identity and makes reference to colonial history, contemporary African politics, and the representation of female in media. She combines her sourced materials with ink, paint, and reflective material to realize lusciously intricate full figure works and portraiture. Since the late 1990’s Mutu’s artworks have been keenly focused on the creation of surrealist characters that are hauntingly grotesque and seductive while they critique systems of power and patriarchy, both political and aesthetic.
PHOTOS
Photos from the Wangechi Mutu Lecture as part of the Jordan D. Schnitzer Exhibition and Visiting Artist Series // Photo credit: Mario Gallucci
