Leilah Babirye features in 'Queer Histories'
The group exhibition Queer Histories at Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand brings together a dynamic range of works that reflect on the complexities of LGBTQIA+ experiences across cultures. Among the participating artists, Leilah Babirye offers a powerful exploration of identity and community through her featured sculpture, Nakyeyune from the Kuchu Nyonyi Nnyange (Egret) Clan, (2023–2024).
Originally shown in her solo exhibition, Obumu, at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2024), Babirye’s work delves into her heritage as a member of the Buganda kingdom of central Uganda, which is made up of fifty-two distinct clans. Clan names signify familial groupings, but also something deeper than that: clan members share a unique set of customs, totems, and given names that date to pre-colonial times. “Each sculpture in the show is given a name from a different clan,” Babirye says, “This is to represent the queer Ugandans that exist in every clan.” Through her work, Babirye bridges past and present, offering a deeply resonant commentary on belonging, resilience, and the intersection of culture and queerness.
