Meet Katwamba Mutale: exploring Black queer sexuality
- Written byStudent Communications
- Published date 23 October 2023
As part of Black History Month this year, we selected 4 of our graduates to feature their work as part of the UAL campaign.
Katwamba Mutale's final project ‘BUT WHAT I FOUND OUT IS THAT IT’S EVERYWHERE.’ is a fashion editorial of Black queer sexuality within a fictional third world perspective, that explores the contrast of his Zambian and Malawian identity with his British Northern upbringing. We chatted to him about why he's an artist and where his inspirations come from.
Hi Katwamba! Please can you introduce yourself in your own words?
Why do you make art?
My artistic journey began during early teen years, when I discovered that I could use the medium of photography to explore my inner world. This further developed whilst studying A level Photography, where I encountered incredible Black visual artists by likes of Carrie Mae Weems, John Akomfrah, Yinka Shonibare and Lorna Simpson that made see how I could also use photography to explore and capture my identity to the world.
What is your work about, and what messages do you convey through it?
My work ‘BUT WHAT I FOUND OUT IS THAT IT’S EVERYWHERE’ is a fashion editorial portraying the third world of Black queerness that is a hybridity of my Zambian, Malawian and British identity. Within my work, I am portraying the expression of occupying a myriad of identities that Black queer men of the diaspora inhabit. My work is also in a way a protest, to the illegality of homosexuality within African countries. My work serves as a hope of to the future as it imagines this potential imagined reality.
What are your primary inspirations?
My primary inspirations are the creative community that I have encountered and fostered whilst living in London. To be surrounded by talented creatives, being able to have conversations allows me to reflect deeply about my work and what I want to say. My other primary inspiration is art, whether it be reading a book, fashion, sculpture a painting. I love being absorbed into other people’s creation and being inspired. Lastly, another primary inspiration of mine is nature, especially when travelling I love knowing where nature resides and being able to just wander and take in what is around me. Often, my recent works have included some of natural element whether that be flowers or trees.
What piece of yours stands out the most to you? Why?
My graduate project as it perfectly encapsulates what I’ve been wanting to say throughout my time of being at UAL. The past few years, I’ve had a difficult time articulating expressing my true self to the world when I didn’t before. To create and put out this work signifies a beginning to myself and to the world of what type of artist I am and what I am trying to say. I hope from this, I can continue delivering that and create even more likeminded works.
After graduating this summer (congratulations!), what are you planning to do next?
I am planning to do create more art, and have more collaborations, however it has been difficult as an artist trying to create whilst having to sustain myself to afford living in London now that I have graduated. I do plan to do a masters however not now, I’m planning to take a break from higher education before pursuing that.
You’ve been selected as part of the Black History Month campaign for UAL - what does the month mean to you?
Which is a huge honour so thank you! This month means to me reflecting, celebrating what we have achieved and fostered through the struggle. As like campaign theme, it’s important to learn our complex interwoven histories, so that we can fight for a better future. For me that means, practise imagining through making art. I often am taken aback of knowing that I will be a part of Black history from the work that I do right now.
More
See more of Katwamba's work on UAL Showcase
Find out more about Black History Month 2023 at UAL