Artist: Mikael Owunna

Title: Nommo Semi, Guardian of Space and Nommo Dei and Nommo Titiyane

Mikael Owunna creates celestial portraits inspired by African cosmologies. Two photographs made with UV light and a custom flash are located on the third level.

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Meet the Artist

Learn more about artist Mikael Owunna. Mikael Owunna is a Nigerian American multi-media artist, filmmaker, and engineer based in Pittsburgh. His art explores the intersections of technology, art, and African cosmologies.

His work has been exhibited across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America and collected by institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University, Durham, NC; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and the National Taiwan Museum.

Owunna’s work has been commissioned by the Cleveland Foundation, Contemporary Art Museum Raleigh, and The Andy Warhol Museum. He has lectured at venues including Harvard Law School, World Press Photo (Netherlands), Tate Modern (UK), and TEDx.

Owunna’s background includes:

Public artwork, Anatomy of the Human, The Andy Warhol Museum POP District, Pittsburgh, Pa. (2023).
Public artwork Playing the Cosmic Strings, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh, PA. (2021).
Installation, Reconstructing the Primordial House, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, N.C. (2022).

For more information, visit MikaelOwunna.com.

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