Portrait Of Wangechi Mutu, Mamiwata 2017

Curator: Kehinde Wiley painted this powerful portrait, titled "Portrait of Wangechi Mutu, Mamiwata," in 2017, working in acrylics. Editor: The composition immediately strikes me as lush and imposing, and the shadows deepen the mysterious quality. Is she holding a snake? Curator: She is, yes. As Mamiwata, the sitter becomes a vessel for the potent West African water spirit, known for her power over wealth, healing, and fertility. Notice the snakes—powerful symbols linking her to the spiritual realm, embodying transformation. Editor: Interesting! It is all in the lines, isn't it? Look at how Wiley juxtaposes the sinuous curves of the snake with the hard geometry of the headpiece and gown. Such interesting decisions, to enhance the figure. What is the symbolic register for such geometry here? Curator: That contrast highlights the merging of the natural and the constructed worlds, which is integral to Mamiwata's lore. Also, if we reflect a bit, it seems Wiley reclaims canonical portraiture to envision Black women within its framework while referencing postcolonialism and Western cultural tropes of representation. Editor: Right, right! So that is an interpretation to read into the figure, with the sitter gazing calmly, almost knowingly. The portrait’s chromatic composition certainly aids the characterisation – the cool blues and greens of her setting contrasting against the warmth of her skin and the vibrant serpentine details. It all coalesces to conjure something formidable. Curator: And perhaps suggests at the enduring influence of ancient beliefs reconfigured for contemporary expression, speaking volumes about cultural identity, the role of women, and spiritual narratives across generations. Editor: After that insight, the chromatic unity achieves a different function for the work. A rather profound encounter, indeed. Curator: Profound is one word for it. It prompts reflection on how visual symbols and narratives retain, revise, and reactivate our shared, though always evolving, understanding of cultural memory.