Phyllis Galembo

Phyllis Galembo (born 1952) ^[1] is an American photographer living in New York City.

She has published seven monographs, including, Pale Pink (1983), Vodou: visions and voices of Haiti (1998), Divine inspiration: from Benin to Bahia (1993), Dressed for thrills: 100 years of Halloween costumes & masquerade (2002), Maske (2016), Mexico: Masks, Rituals (2019), and Sodo (2021).

Phyllis Galembo taught studio photography at the State University of New York, Albany, and is now a Professor Emeritus of Studio Art in the Department of Art & Art History. ^[2]

Galembo received a Senior Fulbright Research Award in 1993–94; was a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow in 1996, 2010 and 2016; and was a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow in 2014.

Education

Galembo earned an MFA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1977. ^[3]

Publications

• Pale pink (1983)
• Aso-ebi, Cloth of the Family (1997), sponsored by New York Council for the Arts
• Divine inspiration: from Benin to Bahia (1993, 1998) ^[4]
• Dressed for thrills: 100 years of Halloween costumes & masquerade (2002) ^[5]
• Vodou: visions and voices of Haiti (2005)
• Maske (2010, ^{[6] [7] [8]} 2016) ^{[9] [10]}
• Phyllis Galembo: Mexico, Masks and Rituals (2019) ^[11]
• Sodo, Datz (2021)

Awards

• 1993–94: Senior Fulbright Research Award, Fulbright Association ^[12]
• 1996, 2010, 2016: New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow ^{[13] [14]}
• 2014: Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation ^[15]

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

• 1993: Divine Inspiration: From Benin To Bahia, Photographs By Phyllis Galembo, International Center of Photography. Work illustrating the religious traditions of Nigeria and the spiritual practices of Brazil introduced from Africa via the slave trade. ^[16]
• 1998: Kings, Chiefs, and Women of Power: Images from Nigeria, American Museum of Natural History ^[17]
• 2005: Sepia International ^{[18] [19]}
• 2007: West African Masquerade: Photographs by Phyllis Galembo, Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, curated by Ian Berry ^[20]
• Phyllis Galembo: Maske was exhibited at Steven Kasher Gallery in N.Y.C. in 2011 ^[21]

Group exhibitions or during festivals

• 2013: The Encyclopedic Palace at the 55th Venice Biennale, curated by Massimiliano Gioni ^[22]
• 2020 Galembo's work was exhibited at the Boca Raton Museum of Art ^[23] in a show entitled Phyllis Galembo: Maske.

Collections

Galembo's works is held in the following permanent collections:

• Mead Art Museum at Amherst College ^[24]
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston ^[25]
• Metropolitan Museum of Art ^[26]
• Wisconsin Union Art Collection ^[3]

See also

• Charles Fréger
• Leah Gordon
• Homer Sykes

References

1. "Phyllis Galembo, American, born 1952". Birmingham Museum of Art. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
2. "Phyllis Galembo". University at Albany. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
3. "Permanent Collection » Wisconsin Union". union.wisc.edu.
4. "Religion Book Review: Divine Inspiration: From Benin to Bahia by Phyllis Galembo, Author, Phyllis Galembo, Photographer, Joseph Nevdomsky, Designed by University of New Mexico Press $35 (169p) ISBN 978-0-8263-1378-2". PublishersWeekly.com. March 1993. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
5. "Nonfiction Book Review: DRESSED FOR THRILLS: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes & Masquerade by Phyllis Galembo". www.publishersweekly.com. 2002-02-09. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
6. Bisschoff, Jürgen (November 2010). "Mummenschanz" (PDF). Geo.
7. Smyth, Diane (October 2010). "The mask". British Journal of Photography: 16.
8. "Phyllis Galembo: Peering behind the mask". The Telegraph. 2016-03-16. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2021-01-23.
9. Dickerman, Kenneth. "Wild, wacky and sometimes serious: The surreal outfits of African masquerading". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2021-01-23.
10. AnOther (2016-03-17). "The Astonishing Artistry and Aesthetics of African Masking". AnOther. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
11. Nnadi, Chioma (7 June 2019). "Phyllis Galembo's New Book Offers a Rare Glimpse Inside the World of Mexican Ritual Dress". Vogue. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
12. https://libraries.uark.edu/specialcollections/fulbrightdirectories/1993%20-%201994.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
13. "NYFA Announces Recipients and Finalists for 2016 Artists' Fellowship Program". July 8, 2016.
14. "Names You Know". NYFA.
15. "John Simon Guggenheim Foundation | Phyllis Galembo".
16. "Divine Inspiration: From Benin To Bahia, Photographs By Phyllis Galembo". International Center of Photography. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
17. "American Museum of Natural History Research Library: Search Results".
18. Smith, Roberta (2005-07-15). "Art in Review; Phyllis Galembo (Published 2005)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-01-23.
19. Reid, Calvin (December 2005). "EXHIBITION REVIEWS, PHYLLIS GALEMBO". Art in America .
20. "West African Masquerade: Photographs by Phyllis Galembo". The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art.
21. "Phyllis Galembo - Artists - Steven Kasher Gallery". www.stevenkasher.com. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
22. "Africa triumphs at the Venice Biennale". BBC News. 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
23. "Phyllis Galembo: Maske | Boca Raton Museum of Art".
24. "Collections Database". museums.fivecolleges.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
25. "Midnight Princess". Museum of Fine Arts, Houston .
26. "Priest of Oluorogbo, Ife, Nigeria". www.metmuseum.org. 1989. Retrieved 2021-01-23.

General references

• Nnadi, Chioma (March 2010). "Phyllis Galembo captures the magic in the masquerade" (PDF). Fader.
• Voon, Claire (2016-04-22). "A Photographic Survey of Africa's Enduring Masquerade Traditions". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
• "Tangible Spirits". National Geographic. April 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020.