Nabintu Bigosi and Nvunanwa Zirimwaga: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A color photograph of Nabintu Bigosi and Nvunanwa Zirimwaga, by Platon. Bigosi and Zirimwaga are partially depicted standing side-by-side and holding hands. Part of each woman’s torso and hip are visible. Bigosi, standing left, is wearing a black Ankara fabric dress with a large white flower pattern. Zirimwaga, standing right, is wearing red Ankara fabric dress with a yellow, black, and gold concentric circular patterns overlaid with and pattern of gold bead strands and has a thin, silver tone bangle on her wrist. At the center of the photograph the two women are holding hands with their wrists crossed and hands held palm-to-palm. The background of the photograph is bright white. The photograph has a thick white border. The edition number, [5/12], is printed in the bottom left corner. The photographer’s signature and date, [Platon 19], is handwritten in the bottom right corner. Inside the border, at the bottom center, is the photographer’s embossed mark: [PLATON ? / EDITIONED ? / PRINT ?[encircled between two bands of embossed dots]]. The back of the photograph is plain and white.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2016; printed 2019
• Photograph by: Platon, British, born 1968
• Subject of: Nabintu Bigosi
• Subject of: Nvunanwa Zirimwaga
• Subject of: Maison Dorcas, Congolese
• Type: pigment prints
• Type: portraits
• Medium: pigment on paper
• Dimensions: H x W (image): 17 1/16 × 16 7/8 in. (43.4 × 42.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (sheet): 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (matted): 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)
• Place printed: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place captured: Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Health
• Topic: Humanitarianism
• Topic: Mental health
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Violence
• Object number: 2021.33.73
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Platon
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Platon Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.