Photo of collection object Mitumba Deity
Smith, Shinique. Mitumba Deity, 2005. Fabric, clothing, twine and cardboard, 48 x 50 in. (121.9 x 127 cm). Gift of the Contemporary Art Council, 2009.25. © Shinique Smith © artist or artist's estate.

Mitumba Deity

2005

Shinique Smith

American, born 1971

Contemporary Art

Sitting directly on the floor, like a Minimalist sculpture, Mitumba Deity consists of lumpy bundles of fabric, stuffed toys, and articles of clothing. Composed of Smith’s own garments and those of friends, the piece alludes to the global economy through the path of secondhand clothing. The piece was inspired by a film that tracks a T-shirt with a university logo from a thrift shop in New York to a mountain village in Africa, where it is purchased by a man and becomes his second shirt. Mitumba is a Swahili word that literally means “bundles” and refers to the packages and articles of used clothing donated by people in prosperous countries to charitable causes. Mitumba Deity is from Smith’s series of bundle sculptures.
Maker/Artist
Smith, Shinique
Classification
Sculpture
Formatted Medium
Fabric, clothing, twine and cardboard
Dimensions
48 x 50 in. (121.9 x 127 cm)
Departments
Contemporary Art
Accession Number
2009.25
Credit Line
Gift of the Contemporary Art Council
Rights Statement
© artist or artist's estate
Dominant Colors

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