LEILAH BABIRYE

Ugandan born Leilah Babirye (b.1985) is a multidisciplinary artist who transforms everyday materials into objects related with identity, sexuality and human rights.

She immigrated to New York from her native country Uganda in 2015. Babirye continues to work in New York today and is represented by the Stephen Friedman Gallery. The artist, who intervenes by carving, welding and burning these materials, refers to “ebisiyaga”, which is a derogatory term for homosexuals in her mother tongue and means “waste”, “trash”, with this medium she has chosen.

The artist also often uses traditional African masks to explore the diversity of LGBTQI+ identities, combining them in ceramic, metal and hand-carved wood. Besides sculpture Babirye also paints vividly colored portraits of her community.