Wangechi Mutu: Preview 'A Fantastic Journey' Before It Hits Brooklyn Museum This Fall (PHOTOS)

Wangechi Mutu Slices Up Reality

"I juxtapose and slice up reality and fiction quite easily," explained Kenya-born artist Wangechi Mutu in an interview with the Art Newspaper. "I’m aware that it is up for grabs and a powerful tool to explain how we take control."

Splicing and dicing is a talent Mutu has perfected in her studio in New York City. Her signature collages are filled with tantalizing mixtures of erotica, high fashion, and nature imagery, delicately positioned into beautiful -- sometimes violent -- works on paper. Hybrid beings are her speciality; we see contorted creatures that are part human, part beast, meant to explore themes of excess, consumption and the representation of black women in art.

wangechi mutu

In October, the artist's works are heading to the Brooklyn Museum for an exhibit titled "A Fantastic Journey." Including collages, drawings, sculptures and video, the show will highlight the whimsical yet disturbing products of her wild imagination.

Viewers can expect a heavy critique of exoticism, pornography, colonialism and a plethora of other issues hidden beneath Mutu's aesthetics. In anticipation of her exhibit, we've put together a preview of her dazzlingly deceptive creations. Scroll through the slideshow below and let us know your thoughts on her work in the comments.

"A Fantastic Journey" will run from October 11, 2013–March 9, 2014 at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City.

Before You Go

Wangechi Mutu

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