Mikael Owunna
To achieve the singular radiance that characterizes the series, Owunna hand-painted each of his models with fluorescent paint and photographed them using an ultraviolet flash of his own design.
“Using this method, in total darkness, I click down on the shutter—‘snap’—and for a fraction of a second, their bodies illuminate as the universe.”—Mikael Owunna
Nommo Semi, Guardian of Space, 2018
Photography on aluminum
Purchased 2019
Location: Wilkinson Building Level 3
Artist’s statement: In Dogon myth, Nommo Semi (Sacrificed Nommo) is the third of the created divine Nommo from which all humanity descends. In the primordial blackness of space, he will be sacrificed by Amma, the Dogon high god, to purify the universe in atonement for the wicked deeds of his twin, Yurugu. Planets and stars spool forth from his blood as it runs along his body. He is then resurrected. As he turns, his gesture demonstrates his role as the Guardian of Space.
Selected Press
- “Mikael Owunna’s Photographs Show the Essence of Black Healing” (Aperture, 2020)
- “‘Every Black Person Deserves To See Themselves This Way’” (NPR Picture Show, 2019
The Flying African, 2018
Photography on aluminum
Purchased 2019
Location: Wilkinson Building Level 3
Artist’s statement: Throughout the United States, and especially along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, stories persist to this day of enslaved Africans who escaped bondage by taking flight and returning to their homelands. Though the myths’ origins are uncertain, many point to the 1803 rebellion known as Igbo Landing on St. Simons Island, Georgia. A group of enslaved Igbo people walked into a creek, choosing to drown themselves rather than be reenslaved. As they entered the water, they were said to chant, “The Water Spirit brought us, the Water Spirit will take us home.” Accepting the protection of the Igbo high god, Chukwu, they flew home to the primordial blackness of the African creator gods.