"Wangechi Mutu: History, Alchemy and Afro-Feminist Futurism"

Bruce Museum Nov. 7, 10-11am

In this invited talk for the Bruce Museum, I will explore critical themes and artistic strategies in the work of Wangechi Mutu, one of the renowned artists featured in their upcoming exhibition Her Crowd: New Art by Women from Our Neighbors' Private Collections. A Brooklyn-based artist born in Nairobi, Kenya, Mutu's multimedia practice encompasses collage, sculpture, installation, video and performance, and wrestles with the historic narratives and contemporary images that construct our global landscape, shaping how we see and treat each other and the planet we share. Her collaged paintings, drawings and videos position black female subjects as powerful agents in this terrain, while her sculpture installations illuminate the adaptative creativity of both human culture and the natural environment.  Mining the past to conjure alternate images of the futures, we will consider her work is a lens through which to consider some of the most pressing issues of today.