Wangechi Mutu

Wangechi Mutu (born 1972) is a Kenyan American visual artist, known primarily for her painting, sculpture, film, and performance work.As of 2023, Mutu, Born in Kenya, now splits her time between her studio there in Nairobi and her studio in Brooklyn, New York, where she has lived and worked for over 20 years.Mutu's work has directed the female body as subject through collage painting, immersive installation, and live and video performance while exploring questions of self-image, gender constructs, cultural trauma, and environmental destruction and notions of beauty and power.

Quotes

  • Creativity is not just the ability to create; it is the ability to dream, to imagine and to explore.
  • Art has the power to disrupt, to challenge, and to provoke change.
  • Through art, we can communicate the deepest aspects of our humanity.
  • Beauty lies in the imperfections, in the raw and untamed.
  • Art is a form of resistance, a way to challenge the status quo.
  • The power of art lies in its ability to provoke emotions and elicit a response.
  • The female body is a vessel of strength and resilience.
  • Art allows us to transcend boundaries and connect with others across cultures and experiences.
  • Every mark we make is a testament to our existence.
  • Art is a language that speaks to the soul.
  • Art has the power to heal, to mend broken hearts and wounded spirits
  • The act of creation is an act of liberation.
  • Through art, we can reimagine our world and envision a better future.
  • Art is a reflection of the artist's inner world and the society we live in.
  • By challenging societal norms, art can inspire change and reshape the world.
  • Art can be a catalyst for dialogue and understanding.
  • The possibilities of expression are endless.
  • Art holds the power to transform pain into beauty.
  • Create without fear, for art is meant to be bold and unapologetic.
  • Art can be a refuge, a sanctuary in a chaotic world.
  • The artist's voice is essential, for it speaks the truth that others may be afraid to utter.
  • Art is a form of storytelling, a way to convey complex narratives.
  • Diversity and inclusion are essential in the arts, for they enrich our understanding and broaden our perspectives.
  • Art can be a mirror that reflects our innermost desires and fears
  • The creative process is messy, but it is in that chaos that we find beauty.
  • Art has the power to inspire hope, to ignite the spark of revolution.
  • Art has the power to inspire hope, to ignite the spark of revolution.
  • The artist's role is to challenge the viewer, to make them question their assumptions and beliefs.
  • Art has the power to bridge the gap between cultures and foster empathy.
  • Through art, we can give voice to the marginalized and silenced.
  • Art is not confined by any limitations; it is boundless, infinite, and ever-evolving.
  • I do all I can to make my WORLD a better PLACE to live in for me and for my KIDS as well.
  • I use femaleness as another lens, so I don't EVEN think all my CREATURES are WOMEN; I just think that I bring out the femaleness in them.
  • I believe ART is a connection, LIKE PASSING on a FLAME.
  • Our interest is in showing that homophobia is not PART of the AGENDA for a NEW AFRICA.
  • I would LIKE to MAKE WORK for my COUNTRY, art which is innately Kenyan by being MADE in Kenya
  • I REALLY BELIEVE in dreaming and making things from NOTHING
  • If something hurtful enters your BODY, you CREATE something BEAUTIFUL to protect yourself from it. That's my PHILOSOPHY.
  • I hope my kids see imagination has power to change everything.
  • Growing up around strong African black women, my work celebrates them and what they have helped me achieve. This is my way of honouring and praising all the strong black women throughout the centuries who helped us get to this point in history. We all originated from African ancestors; every single one of us comes from the same common black mother. Dispersions and migrations began thousands of years ago with people migrating from their motherland to colder, less sunny regions or to other faraway continents. Despite our differences, we are all part of the same homo sapiens species.
  • I chose collage as my medium because it was the most accessible and impactful way for me to create. When I moved to New York and aimed to become a serious artist, I lacked the resources for expensive materials. I started experimenting with magazine clippings and watercolours, which led to unexpected surprises and a sense of tension that I sought in the creation process. By combining these elements, I was able to create something new that even I had to understand.
  • The blending of human and animal elements is as old as the human imagination itself. Throughout history, humans have been enamoured with the elegant grace, speed and raw strength of certain creatures, and have often sought to embody these qualities in their own form. My art is deeply inspired by the natural world and I am particularly drawn to the ways in which all living beings, including humans, animals and plants, are interconnected and interdependent on this crowded planet. Despite the destruction wrought by humans, if you take the time to observe and contemplate, it becomes clear that all living creatures, animals, people and plants stem from a common origin and share the earth’s resources.
  • My work often reflects feelings of nostalgia, saudade and ennui. It’s difficult to depart from one’s home country, especially when the future is uncertain. I find myself frequently missing my childhood home and the memories associated with it. The plants, flowers and creatures in my work are sourced from these memories, representing a longing for a time that no longer exists.
  • The burden the woman carries – a symbol of labour as well as the struggles of civilisation and industrialisation – becomes increasingly heavy. On her head, she carries a radio tower, a large TV dish, an apartment building, an oil rig, and more. As she travels through a stunning sunset landscape, she eventually collapses from exhaustion. Despite this, she continues to move forward, even resorting to crawling. At this point, we realise that what we are witnessing is not just the representation of man-made problems, but something else entirely – a growing anomaly that ultimately overflows and engulfs her.
  • I was aware of contemporary Kenyan artists, most of them older men who worked like folklorists, interpreting a lot of mythology and folktales through painting and sculpture. Even that was a disconnect, because while I understood what they were doing, I didn’t identify with them as strongly as I would have liked to, even though I really appreciated their work. But African artists, I hardly knew of any, to be honest.
  • I have different themes, and I mash them all together. One of the things that I’m focused on is finding new ways to interpret the female portrait by questioning those qualities we look for when we identify something as “woman,” or even “beautiful.” What do the words mean? And how are they particular to, and part of, different histories? We sort of assume that we are saying the same things and so run the risk of ignoring, of negating, the existence of people when we homogenize them.
  • Landscape is important, but I’m creating a fictional landscape, so it’s kind of a romanticization of certain aspects of nature. I don’t try to strictly replicate things that I love but tease out ideas that are mythologically and historically important to me. Trees play a big role in my work, as a Kenyan, as a Kikuyu, as a person who loves plants. I love and need to look at nature. My mother is a gardener, and I was raised in a beautiful natural environment. I am very drawn to things that grow and change. I have a garden. I think about plants and animals that communicate very slowly but distinctly, and how they exist.
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