On Saturday, September 27, the Block Museum proudly hosted an Opening Day Celebration for Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey.

After weeks of hanging artworks, transforming the gallery space into an otherworldly environment, and having Wangechi herself construct a monumental wall drawing, everything was ready.

The event began at 2pm in Louis Theater on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. Wangechi presented on themes and narratives in her artworks and was then joined in conversation by Huey Copeland, associate professor of art history at Northwestern University. The conversation ended with a quick, but robust question and answer session from the audience.

The event was free and open to the public, and so many people showed up that we actually had to turn potential attendees away! (If you were unable to see Wangechi’s artist talk and would like to receive a link to the video recording, please contact Joanna Gueller at joanna.gueller@northwestern.edu. Please note that this recording is to be used for educational purposes only and is not to be shared.)

Following Wangechi’s talk and conversation with Huey, everyone headed back to the Block to see the exhibition. Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey is one of the most ambitious presentations of work by a contemporary artist ever seen at the Block. Organized by the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the exhibition is the first U.S. survey for Wangechi Mutu, a contemporary African artist and sculptor who has achieved great global acclaim for her works in a diverse range of artistic media.

Mutu is best known for large-scale collages depicting powerful hybrid female figures in lush, otherworldly landscapes. Many of her most iconic works are included in A Fantastic Journey, which features more than 50 works from the mid-1990s to the present. The Block Museum is proud to be the culminating venue for this amazing exhibition.

Learn more about Wangechi Mutu: A Fantastic Journey by visiting our exhibition page.