Mikael Owunna
Nigerian-American, born 1990
“Queer African Motherhood – Tobi & Gabi,” Limit(less) Series
2017
Photograph
Collection of Mikael Owunna
Pittsburg-born Nigerian-American photographer Mikael Owunna’s globe-trotting series Limit(less) explores the question of what it means to be both African and LGBTQ outside of Africa. Owunna’s work redefines “what it means to be an immigrant, African and queer” as he spends time with and photographs queer Africans based in North America, Europe, and the Caribbean (Owunna). In this photo, Owunna captures an intimate moment between a queer bisexual Nigerian mother and their daughter in Essex, UK. When asked about their hopes for their daughter, the mother said, “My dream is that she understands what freedom is in all senses of the word and is always surrounded by people who will guide and nurture her in the ways she chooses to go”. Owunna’s photographs highlight the experiences of queer diasporic Africans and depict a powerful counterpoint to narratives that place queer identities as antithetical to love and community.
Saidou Camara ’19
Bibliography
Allen, Jafari S. 2012. “Black/Queer/Diaspora at the Current Conjuncture.” GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 18, no. 2-3: 211-248.
This article offers an overview of current trends in the space of black/queer/diaspora studies, finding that the field is especially multivalent and liberatory with a focus on possible futures.
Naples, Nancy. 2004. “Queer parenting in the new millennium.” Gender & Society 18, no. 6: 679-684.
Using her own experience as a lesbian mother, Nancy Naples argues against the opposition of same-sex marriage as a means to protect the children, a very heteronormative stance.
Ross, Lori and Cheryl Dobinson. 2013. “Where is the ‘B’ in LGBT Parenting? A Call for Research on Bisexual Parenting.” In LGBT-Parent Families. Goldberg, A, Allen, K. (eds). New York: Springer. Pp. 87-103.
Authors Lori Ross and Cheryl Dobinson find that very little research has been done on the experiences of parents that identify as bisexual, finding that they often get collapsed with gay and lesbian parents.
Owunna, Mikael. “Limit(less).” Mikael Owunna. https://www.mikaelowunna.com/limitless
This webpage provides additional information about Mikael Owunna’s Limit(less) series from the artist himself.
