Growing up in Uganda, Leilah Babirye was deeply inspired by traditional African ceramic and wood-carving techniques observed from local artisans. But it was her journey from Kampala to New York City that significantly shaped her creative work today.
“I was able to move from Kampala to New York because I got accepted to the Fire Island Residency and decided to stay in New York afterwards,” Babirye tells OkayAfrica in an interview. “Because I was on Fire Island, my first impression of the U.S. was that everyone seemed so open-minded and happy. That you could express your sexuality and gender without fear.” However, Babirye was quickly hit with reality when she left Fire Island for New York City. She had been in a bubble at Fire Island and found that the U.S. did not abound with queer acceptance and freedom of expression.
In order to earn a living, Babirye collected cans off the street and made food deliveries on her bike. “The combination of experiences I had when I moved here has shaped my art in many ways, such as using cans and bicycle tires within my art.” Even more, and through her travels, Babirye met LGBTQ+ activists from Uganda, New York and now worldwide. “My works represent all of the amazing people I’ve met along the way,” she says.
This blend of personal experiences and cultural heritage is especially evident in Babirye’s first solo museum exhibition, We Have a History, which is on view at the de Young Museum in San Francisco till June 22, 2025. The exhibition, which juxtaposes old and new works, explores themes of African art history and queer identity. It draws inspiration from the style and resilience of drag queens and the transgender community; Babirye even named three new sculptures after her friends from the Ugandan queer community.
In this interview with OkayAfrica, Babirye discusses the significance behind her exhibition’s title and inspiration behind her new sculptures and the journey to the U.S., and she shares her excitement about future projects aimed at uplifting the LGBTQ+ community worldwide.
OkayAfrica: How did you come to embrace traditional African ceramic and wood-carving techniques in your contemporary work?
Leilah Babirye: Growing up in Uganda, I used to see local artisans make wood carvings and small sculptures. Then, when I got to college at Makerere University (in Kampala, Uganda), I started to see these sculpture techniques used on a larger scale. On my first day, I saw a female professor carving a huge wood sculpture and I knew I wanted to do the same. I am fascinated by traditional African art because every object has a specific meaning. For example, African sculptures can represent protection, abundance, spirituality and more. This is similar to how my own sculptures represent different people and carry different emotions.
Photo by Gary Sexton.
On Leilah Babirye’s first day at the Makerere University in Kampala, she saw a female professor carving a huge wood sculpture and knew she wanted to do the same.
What is the significance behind the title We Have a History for your exhibition?
The title of the exhibition is inspired by the combination of old and new works within the exhibition. Natasha Becker, the curator of African Art at the de Young Museum,installed my work within the existing permanent African Art collection at the museum. Throughout the planning process, we thought a lot about how my works communicate with the existing collection. We thought about the history of African art, the ancestral connections between the works, and the history of queer people in Africa. Colonialism did not bring homosexuality to Africa, queer people have always existed. One of the oldest Dogon sculptures in the collection appears between genders, similar to my own sculptures.
How does your queer activism influence your art?
I’m building a queer family through my art. Members of the LGBTQ+ community don’t always have support from their families, so it’s important for us to create our own support systems. The figures I create are inspired by drag queens and the transgender community because I love their style. This is why I adorn my sculptures with found objects representing jewelry, hairstyles, makeup, and accessories. I often name my sculptures after Ugandan LGTBQ+ activists, friends and public figures.
This is your first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. How has this milestone impacted your artistic approach, and what do you hope audiences will take away from your work?
I’m honored and excited to have my first museum solo exhibition in the U.S. Museums bring in people from all over the world and host community programs. I’m happy that my work will have this level of visibility and accessibility. I hope that the audience feels empowered looking at the work. My goal is always to give people a sense of belonging through my work.
Photo by Gary Sexton.
In 2025, LeilahBabirye will be having a solo gallery exhibition in Europe.
What’s the inspiration behind the three new sculptures created for this exhibition?
The three new sculptures in the exhibition were inspired by my initial site visit to the museum. I was able to explore the museum’s African Art collection. I thought a lot about how my works would interact with the historical African works – what are they saying to each other? What emotions do they have? Each new sculpture is named after friends of mine in the queer Ugandan community – Nakimbugwe from the Kuchu Royal Family of Buganda, Katiiti Kalibbala from the Kuchu Nsenene (Grasshopper) Clan, and Nakalyango from the Kuchu Ngo (Leopard) Clan.
Can you tell us what projects you’re excited to explore next?
I’m excited to continue uplifting the LGBTQ+ community worldwide through my work. So far this year, I’ve exhibited work at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Venice Biennale, and now the de Young Museum. The positive reactions to these exhibitions motivate me to create more. I will have a small project show at Gordon Robichaux, New York, Sept. 15, 2024, to Oct. 27, 2024, to connect the dots between all of my exhibitions currently on view. In 2025, I’m having a solo gallery exhibition in Europe which I will announce very soon.
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