Cosmic Storytellers

Dr. Marques Redd and Mikael Owunna are Black, queer Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary artists who weave indigenous African cosmic stories into their work. A recent film they directed, The Primordial House is an example of this, referencing everything from modern pictures of deep space phenomenon to the connections the Igbo people have had to the Sirius star system since ancient times to the celestial stylings of Black jazz artist Sun Ra. They join host Sean Mobley for a conversation about their work and the ways sky stories and space exploration have shaped African storytelling for millennia.

In Season 3 of The Flight Deck, we’re sharing stories of LGBTQ+ people in aerospace.

Portraits of Marques Redd and Mikael Owunna: Photos by Emmai Alaquiva

Background image: Public Domain via NASA

Host: Sean Mobley
Producer: Kevin Wright

Link to donate to The Museum of Flight

Link to the Rainbow Serpent Collective’s website

Link to Marques Redd’s Instagram account

Link to Mikael Owunna’s Instagram Account

Link to the Wikipedia article about sculptor Michael Richards, who was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks

Link to the ‘Youngest’ Episode of The Flight Deck

Link to an article from the Museum about the Tuskegee Airmen