This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 13, 2019, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York unveiled a historic installation by Kenyan-born artist Wangechi Mutu, marking the first time an installation has been made at the entrance of the iconic museum in its 117-year history.
Mutu's commissioned project, 'The NewOnes, will free Us', features four bronze sculptures titled The Seated I, II, III, and IV (2019), which will be displayed until January 12th, 2020.
According to The Met, 'The NewOnes, will free Us' engages in a critique of gender and racial politics, as pointed as it is poetic and fantastic.' The museum further stated that Mutu has reimagined a motif common to the history of both Western and African art: the caryatid, a sculpted figure, almost always female, meant to serve as a means of either structural or metaphorical support.
Ms. Mutu explained that her sculptures derive inspiration from her interest in ancient and modern practices that reflect on the relationship between women and power across various traditions. She stated, 'The poised, stately figures I have created…derive inspiration from my interest in ancient and modern practices that reflect on the relationship between women and power across various traditions… They have come to look and bear witness, and to reflect back to us what we are.'
With a career spanning over two decades, Mutu is known for her painting, sculpture, film, and performance work. She holds both Kenyan and US citizenship and has lived and worked from her Brooklyn residence since 2006.
