State of the Art: Leilah Babirye

Reader's Digest: How would you describe your art? 

Leilah Babirye: My art is a process of transformation, taking what some might consider trash and making it beautiful, taking raw material such as wood or clay and carving, building, burning it all into portraits of my community, a new queer clan.  

RD: Who or what have been your main influences?

LB: While I am from Uganda, it is the West African tradition of carving masks that is a primary influence on my work.  

Women sculptors and my professors at university inspired me: Lilian Nabulime, Margaret Nagawa, Sylvia Katende, and Maria Naita.  

The LGBT community is an ongoing influence; I get inspired by how people dress, wear their hair, present themselves, it all feeds into my work. 

Leilah Babirye, "Nakawaddwa from the Kuchu Ngabi (Antelope) Clan", 2021. Glazed ceramic, wood, wax, wire, bicycle chain and found objects, 85.5 x 35.5 x 34.5cm (33 5/8 x 14 x 13 5/8in). Collection of Samallie Kiyingi. © Leilah Babirye. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and Gordon Robichaux, New York. Photo by Stephen White & Co

RD: What appeals to you about working in ceramics? 

LB: When I work with clay it's very soothing, it relaxes me. It’s the only material I work with that helps me to slow down, calm down, whilst also having control over the process.   

RD: What is your earliest memory of working with clay? 

LB: 2007, the first year I was at university was the first time I worked with clay.  

We started by learning how to make traditional pots and forms; we didn’t even have access to glaze which was reserved for professors or ceramic majors only.   

Leilah Babirye, "Namasole Wannyana, Mother of King Kimera from the Kuchu Royal Family of Buganda", 2021. Ceramic, wire, metal electrical conduit, bicycle tyre inner tubes and found objects, Overall dimensions (in two parts): 273 x 84x84cm (107 1/2 x 33 1/8 x 33 1/8in). © Leilah Babirye. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and Gordon Robichaux, New York. Photo by Todd-White Art Photography.

RD: Your work is being shown  in Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art. What does the show mean to you?

LB: I’m honoured to be included in this historic show with such a great range of artists and work.  

It’s an opportunity for me as well to see how other artists experiment with clay, glaze and shapes, to see each unique take on what ceramics can do.

RD: What do you hope people take away from the exhibition?

LB: It’s up to the viewer to take away what they want. I hope they are inspired by the way I’ve pushed the medium of clay to its limits, with scale, with glaze, doing things that are not supposed to be done, confounding people’s expectations.

Leilah Babirye, "Nakatotoo from the Kuchu Mpewo (Oribi Antelope) Clan", 2021. Glazed ceramic, wire and found objects, 37.4 x 15.2 x 17cm (14 3/4 x 6 x6 3/4in). Private Collection. © Leilah Babirye. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and Gordon Robichaux, New York. Photo by Stephen White & Co.

Leilah's work will be displayed in Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art at the Hayward Gallery from 26 October 2022 to 8 January 2023. Tickets can be bought at southbankcentre.co.uk 

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