theHotness Issue 16

(this is from November but I got it a month ago...)

Hot.Grrrls: WANGECHI MUTU & MICKALENE THOMAS

BRINGIN' SEXY BACK TO THE ARTWORLD

If I were to believe Biggie or even the now defunct NRG Magazine, Brooklyn girls supposedly got it going on. And if last night's sojourn from the Heights to Bed Stuy proved anything it was just that—that like the sprawling terrain itself, the grrrls too are mad deep. First stop was this Stoop Series co-presented by BRIC's Rotunda Gallery, which I had never heard of and NY Magazine. I've been on NY Mag's guest list for events for almost two years now and I don't remember them ever doing anything in Brooklyn and surely nothing that centered around the work of not one, but two Black women. So needless to say I was looking forward to this event that featured a conversation with artists Wangechi Mutu and Mickalene Thomas. I met Wangechi a year ago at a birthday party and ever since I've been hearing things (mostly good) about her seemingly everywhere so I was especially amped to see if she lived up to the hype. I has seen her work up close at this reception given for the President of Liberia at the Nubian Heritage and though it was aight. Honestly I wasn't really moved by her work until last night when this Kenyan homegrrrl started breaking down the symbolism and metaphors that define her collage. I was totally in awe as she talked about her creative process and how that is fueled by African history, sexism and sexuality, race and politics. She was saying things like...

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