February 21, 2013

Wangechi Mutu, the exhibition of the provocative collage artist of the same name, is now open at the new Leonard Pearlstein Gallery at the URBN Center Annex (3401 Filbert St.). The show will run until March 30th and it features collages, sculptures, and installations that speak to themes ranging from female identity to definitions of beauty. The opening celebration and reception at the gallery will be this Friday, February 22nd at 5 PM, and we welcome you to attend. At the opening, noted Philadelphia poet Sonia Sanchez will perform new poetry written to complement Mutu’s work, and Drexel Dance professor Tania Isaac has choreographed a new work to be performed by members of the Drexel Dance Ensemble.

The exhibit includes such highly regarded works as Suspended Playtime, which explores Kenyan children’s inventive practice of making soccer balls out of bundled and bound garbage bags, and The Medical Series, a series of challenging collages based on early 20th century medical illustrations. Mutu’s work is housed in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.  She regularly exhibits internationally and was awarded the prestigious Deutsche Guggenheim Artist of the Year in 2010.