Wangechi Mutu, born in Kenya in 1972, makes alluring yet unsettling pictures of female figures. She uses her work to make bold statements about a variety of feminist and racial issues.
Mutu goes about creating her images by first painting outline images on Mylar. She then starts to build-up the picture using images cut from a variety of printed sources.
In 'Untitled' (pictured above - top), the goddess-like figure is made-up of images cut from fashion magazines, National Geographic and books about African art. It represents the disjointed facets of modern Africa, portraying its inner turmoil, ancient tradition and blossoming future.
In 'Untitled' (pictured above - bottom), Mutu creates a glamorous centerfold type image with a barbaric twist. She combines a motorcycle with female body-parts, implying that women are seen as sex objects and as a result are suffering.
I first became aware of Mutu’s work, when I saw two of her pieces (pictured) as part of The Saatchi Collection at Leeds City Art Gallery. It immediately inspired me to create my own collage (pictured below). I was excited by the thought of mixing lots of different images to create my own surreal, original piece of artwork.
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