Composed of debris and waste materials collected from the streets of New York, Leilah Babirye’s sculptures are woven, cut, welded, burned and burnished. Babirye often uses traditional African masks to explore the diversity of LGBTQI identities, assembling them with ceramic, metal and carved wood. Through the act of burning, nailing and assembling, the artist addresses the realities of gay life in the context of Uganda and Africa in general. Her creative process was recently fuelled by the need to find a language to respond to the passing of anti-homosexuality laws in Uganda.
