Queer Art Celebrates Ugandan Identity in Boston

Ugandan artist Leilah Babirye is presenting her exhibition "Embaga ya Naki ne Naki (Wedding of Naki and Naki)" at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. This exhibition showcases Babirye's powerful sculptures, which explore the intersection of her Ugandan heritage and her identity as a queer woman. Her art often incorporates found objects, transforming materials that were once used to denigrate LGBTQ+ individuals into elements of beauty and resilience.

Babirye, who received asylum in the United States due to anti-homosexuality laws in Uganda, finds inspiration in the traditions of the Buganda kingdom. Her work, characterized by distorted, deconstructed forms reminiscent of African masks, now focuses on celebrating queer joy and belonging. The Boston exhibition features tall, ancestral-like works alongside new pieces arranged in a circle, depicting a queer wedding and its guests, marking a shift towards more explicit celebration and happiness in her artistic expression.