Leilah Babirye’s summer on Fire Island in 2015 was an unrealistic entry into the United States. The artist had traveled from her hometown, the Ugandan capital of Kampala, to Long Island’s remote queer haven to attend the Fire Island Artist Residency. “I thought ‘wow this must be America—people are all generous and forgiving,’” Babirye recalled. “Just outside, in New York City, I realized everything is different; finding a studio and a place to stay was very challenging.”
In the time since, however, bountiful changes have led Babirye’s career only upwards: The U.S. granted her asylum in 2018 due to the life-threatening conditions the queer community faces in Uganda; a series of critically acclaimed exhibitions with her New York and London galleries, Gordon Robichaux and Stephen Friedman Gallery, respectively cemented her status as a sculptor to watch on both sides of the pond; and last year, Celine’s creative director Hedi Slimane commissioned the 37-year old to make a sculpture for the French fashion house’s new London boutique. Plus, the artist recently received her Green Card.
