Being taught to despise your body is being taught to perhaps admire someone else's body more than yours - being taught that your body is good for certain things and not for others.
Wangechi MutuRead
I've always loved the idea that you think you know what you're looking at from a distance, yet when you come up close, it gets intricate and nutty and obscene and provocative.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects how things appear simple from afar but reveal complexity upon closer inspection.
Wangechi Mutu's quote speaks to the nature of perception and the rich intricacies that lie beneath the surface of what we initially observe. It suggests that our understanding of a subject often deepens and becomes more complicated as we engage with it more closely, turning our initial perceptions into a realization of complexity that can be both shocking and inspiring.
Themes
PerceptionDepthArtComplexityIntricacy
In practice
Example use cases
During an art exhibition, this quote could be used to describe how viewers should approach each piece with an open mind and seek deeper meanings.
More from Wangechi Mutu
All quotes →Gold and precious gems are, in many places, the one form of wealth a woman can use to protect and enhance herself within the elaborate structure of patriarchy.
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The ocean is the source of life. We all come from there. I think about these one-celled creatures, and I think about the planet. It is related to my obsession with biology, even if it's only a layperson's obsession. The way I visualise what's at the bottom of the ocean is very much to do with how I feel when I'm swimming in the sea.
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