Wangechi Mutu came to the Michigan Theatre on Thursday, November 8th as part of the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series. Mutu is an African born artist who lives in New York and specializes in collages.
With the unusual title of her lecture, “My Dirty Little Heaven,” it was hard to know what to expect, but the main theater was nearly filled by the time Mutu stepped out onto the stage.
Mutu started off her lecture by telling the audience that her pieces are shown in porn and fashion magazines. She also said that people describe her work as “grotesque and gorgeous.”
The lecture was centered around the history of Kenya, where she was born, and how it has inspired her. She showed powerful images of the war, and then pictures of her art, all on a large projector. Her art medium is mostly collages, but she also works with sculptures, photography and short films.
Josephine Baker and Grace Jones are two famous African-American women that Mutu mentioned in her lecture. Both are singers, dancers and actresses, although Baker died in 1975. Mutu described Jones as “horrific and beautiful.” Some of her collages incorporate these women.
Mutu likes to capture the “unified look” of African-American skin. In all of her work, she only uses black women. She describes them as powerful.
In the past, Mutu has used animals in her creations. She also works with photography. “There’s sometimes a violence portrayed in photography, and that’s what I’m trying to capture,” she said.
With many facets to her work, Mutu is a great addition to the art industry. Check out her website, and her exhibit, “My Dirty Little Heaven.”
