Gain a deeper understanding of ocean traditions in Africa and the Pacific Islands
IMAGES: Our Sacred Ocean tapestry in progress 2022, Photograph ©Keiskamma Trust
and Lloyd Newton Our Ocean Our Identity: Solomon Islands, 2021 mural. Photograph courtesy of the artist
- Undercurrents: Art and Ocean in Africa and the Pacific will be on show at The Glasgow School of Art’s Reid Gallery, 15 – 29 April 2023
- The group exhibition offers the chance to learn about indigenous peoples’ deep relationships with the ocean
- Documentary film, graphic novel, illustrated children’s book, tapestry and wearable art are among works made by independent artists, collectives and community groups
Climate change, commercial overfishing, plastic pollution and deep sea mining are serious threats to the ocean. In global debates about these hazards, the personal stories of those most affected are often unheard.
the ocean is a sacred place of identity, nurture, healing, spirits and ancestors
Over the last four years, researchers at The Glasgow School of Art have been collaborating with academics, artists and grassroot community groups in Africa, the Pacific and the UK to explore emotional connections that communities have with the ocean. The outcomes of this work will be unveiled in the Reid Gallery at The Glasgow School of Art in Undercurrents: Art and Ocean in Africa and the Pacific (15 April – 29 April 2023).
“From the tides of the Pacific to the currents of Africa, the sea is regarded as a sacred place of identity, nurture, healing, spirits and ancestors,“ says Dr Lisa McDonald of GSA’s School of Simulation and Visualisation, who is curating the exhibition. “Our collaborations with artists, collectives and civil society in Ghana, South Africa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea have captured many and varied relationships that different communities have with the ocean.“
“Indigenous knowledge, practices and worldviews are showcased in media such as film and song, murals, an illustrated children’s book, tapestry and wearable art. Each of the artworks reflect the priorities, values and aesthetics of the communities in which they have been produced,” she adds.
“We hope that people will come along and gain an understanding of the diverse and fascinating connections that different communities around the world have with the ocean, while enjoying work that has been created by a range of very talented makers.”
The exhibition is presented in partnership with One Ocean Hub, an international programme of research that focuses on UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
“Fairer and more respectful relationships are needed with people who have unique connections to the sea, so we can make sustainable decisions about the uses and management of the ocean,” says Prof Elisa Morgera, One Ocean Hub Director at the University of Strathclyde.
“Communities whose histories and livelihoods are linked to the sea need to have their voices not only heard, but also valued. Art and creativity are powerful ways to raise awareness of the many different and distinctive relationships that people have with the sea, which need to be front and centre in planning a sustainable future for the world’s oceans,” she concludes.
Work featured in the exhibition:
From Ghana:
- Cocooned in Harmony – a documentary about the songs of fisherfolk (Eric Otchere)
- Mamme Water – an exploration of the legend of the African Mermaid through song and video (Straight Family Entertainment)
- I Sea the Blue – a graphic novel that documents the cultural and environmental significance of turtles (Drama Queens)
From South Africa:
- Our Sacred Ocean – a tapestry that celebrates local memories, prayers and rituals (Keiskamma Art Project)
- Fishers Tales – edited stories and oral histories, with accompanying imagery (Urban Futures Centre and South Durban Community Environmental Alliance)
From the Pacific:
Netai en Namou Toc (Stories of Mother Ocean) – an illustrated children’s book capturing indigenous stories and knowledge (Erromango Cultural Association)
Through the Ocean’s Lens – wearable art to highlight customary relationships (Association of Solomon Islanders in Creative Fashion)
Our Ocean Our Identity – murals that convey the shared historical and cultural significance of the sea (Lloyd Newtonin Solomon Islands, Alvaro Sumaki Kuautonga in Vanuatu and Pax Jakupa in Papua New Guinea)
The creation of all works of art has been supported by the One Ocean Hub DEEP Fund, which supports community-based art projects in One Ocean Hub partner countries.
Ends
28 February 2023
Further information about the exhibition contact:
Further information about One Ocean Hub contact:
Notes for Editors
Biographies
Dr Eric Debrah Otchere is Head of the Department of Music and Dance at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His research focuses on music education and music psychology. He has held fellowships with the African Studies Society (USA) and Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (South Africa).
https://directory.ucc.edu.gh/p/eric-debrah-otchere
Straight Family Entertainment is a collective of emerging performing artists from marginalised communities in Accra, Ghana. The grassroots organisation, founded by Mohammed Nasir, provides a platform for musicians, actors and creatives to develop and showcase their talents.
Drama Queens is a Ghanaian non-profit organisation that promotes and advocates gender equity and the equal participation of women and LGBTQIA+ people in all levels of civic society. The organisation adopts theatre, film, visual art and literature to tell the stories of modern women and queer people from the African continent and diaspora.
https://www.instagram.com/dramaqueensgh/?hl=en-gb
https://www.facebook.com/DramaQueensGh/
https://twitter.com/dramaqueensgh
The Urban Futures Centre at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa, seeks to design sustainable solutions to everyday problems in collaboration with those most affected by the complexities that characterise urban spaces. The Centre’s workings and activities are concerned with real people who live in cities, and their futures.
https://www.dut.ac.za/faculty/engineering/urban_futures/
The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance is an environmental justice organisation based in South Durban, South Africa. It is made up of 19 affiliate organisations that actively lobby, report and research local industrial incidents and accidents to promote a healthy, safe and sustainable environment.
The Keiskamma Art Project is a branch of the Keiskamma Trust, created to restore hope and dignity by treating the holistic needs of the local community. Based in Hamburg, South Africa, the Project produces major textile artworks that preserve and archive the rural Eastern Cape’s oral history and collective memory.
https://keiskammaartproject.org/
The Erromango Cultural Association is a community-based not-for-profit association dedicated to documenting, preserving and promoting the unique languages, customs and culture of Erromango, a southern island of Vanuatu.
The Association of Solomon Islanders in Creative Fashion, founded by Justina Radclyffe, is a charitable organisation committed to the development and promotion of local designers and makers in the fields of art, craft, clothing, jewellery, accessories and interior design.
https://www.facebook.com/ASIICF/
Pax Jakupa is an independent artist from Goroka, Papua New Guinea. He is a graduate of the University of Goroka and the University of Papua New Guinea. His paintings explore the cultures and customs of his homeland. Pax is represented in a number of institutional collections including the Bishop Museum, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and National Museums Scotland.
Lloyd Newton is an independent artist from Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. He is a graduate of the Solomon Islands National University and a recipient of the Solomon Islands Governor General’s Art Residency. His practice takes inspiration from the unique and varied cultural heritage of his homeland.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=lloyd%20newton%20arts
Alvaro Sumaki Kuautonga is an independent artist who descends from Futuna Island, Vanuatu. His corpus is inspired by his cultural heritage and spans painting, graphic art, stencils, murals and illustration. He has represented Vanuatu at international festivals in Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tahiti.
https://www.facebook.com/alvarokiki.kuautonga
Doung Anwar Jahangeer is a Mauritian-born architect, artist and performer, who has lived in South Africa since 1992. His practice explores the role of creativity in building safer, more liveable cities. He is a founder of the collective Dala and a PhD candidate at the Durban University of Technology.
Thabisile Gumede is a South African writer and editor who has written for numerous national, regional and community newspapers. She holds a Master of Journalism Degree from the Durban University of Technology.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thabisile-Gumede
Zimvo Nonjola, otherwise known as Aphiwe, is a South African photographer and student at the Durban University of Technology. She specialises in abstract photography.
Lina Macanhe is a South African photographer whose practice focuses on the genres of street fashion and documentary. She is a graduate of the Durban University of Technology.
https://www.instagram.com/linamacanhe/?hl=en-gb
Nompilo Mthethwa is a South African portrait and documentary photographer. She is a graduate of the Durban University of Technology.
https://www.instagram.com/_nompilomthethwa/?hl=en-gb
Ezami Molefe is a South African photographer based in Durban. She is a student at the Durban University of Technology and founder of Shwaz Images.
https://www.instagram.com/shwaz._.image/
Julie Pelomo for JP Arty Designs
Hilleina Hilly
Marylyn Bae for MB Collection
Evangeline Aravoha’a