- Mikael Owunna
- 4 Queer African Women in the Snow, from Limitless Africans, 2017
- Inkjet print on Kodak Pro Endura, gloss finish
- 24 x 36 in (60.96 x 91.44 cm)
- Inv: 2020.1.1
Gallery Purchase
Mikael Owunna found his voice in art and photography, he says, after American society alienated him as an immigrant and African circles alienated him as a gay man. From 2013 to 2017, he embarked on a major documentary project titled Limit(less), photographing and telling the stories of 50 LGBTQ African immigrants in North America and Europe. Through the project, Owunna aims to debunk the idea that homosexuality is “un-African,” while unearthing the European colonial roots of that notion. Four Queer African Women in the Snow is the first group portrait in the series, created to convey the importance of support and found family within the LGBTQ migrant community. The styles of those pictured along with the wintry setting work together to challenge traditional notions of nationality and identity.
Bibliography
Van Every/Smith Galleries Blog: PROFS TALK ART: DR. LAURIAN BOWLES
Dr. Ann Fox’s “Disability in Literature & Art” class wrote and recorded image descriptions of some of the works in the Van Every/Smith collection. Here two students give a description of the work through their perspectives: Abigail Dietrich ‘24 and and Kenny Eheman ‘25.
- Subject Matter: Figurative
- Current Location: Dana Science Laboratory - 2nd Floor
- Collections: Africana Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Photography, Social Justice
