Mikael Owunna Photography Exhibit and Vernissage

Mikael Owunna Photo Exhibit, Davis Family Library Atrium, August 8-August 18. 

The Middlebury College School of French proudly presents an exhibition by esteemed alumnus, Mikael Owunna (2018), titled “Infinite Essence.”

The inception of “Infinite Essence” traces back to Owunna’s deep exploration of indigenous African knowledge systems. His goal was to craft a unique visual style that encapsulates the majestic cosmos, intricate symbolism, and the portrayal of Blackness as the divine, cosmic origin from which all existence blooms.

Owunna, leveraging his engineering background, developed a camera flash transmitting solely ultraviolet light for this project. Black models, their bodies meticulously adorned with fluorescent paints that glow under ultraviolet light, were photographed in complete darkness. The fleeting moment the shutter captured brought about a magical transformation – bodies illuminated as the celestial universe itself, with scenes inspired by the repertoire of African diasporic mythology springing forth.

The exhibition strongly reflects the creative narratives found within Nigerian (Igbo) and Malian (Dogon) cosmologies. These sacred sciences offer poetic systems of spiritual and empirical principles, their core aim being the divination of human consciousness. Echoing their influence, “Infinite Essence” masterfully fuses art, science, myth, and technology to serve as a conduit for Black transfiguration.

We cordially invite you to immerse yourself in this unique amalgamation of art and technology, where the divine grandeur of the cosmos is brought to life through the lens of Mikael Owunna.

Exhibition made possible through the generous support of the Middlebury Museum of Art, the Middlebury Language Schools, and the Betty Ashbury Jones MA ’86 School of French.