Curatorial Statement
The politics of identity has been a central discourse among Black scholars, writers and artists for decades. Many have called for a Pan-African understanding of Black identity that is devoid of an anti-Black western philosophical and social epistemology. In order to disrupt the cultural identity erasure that has plagued the Black Atlantic, we look to the continent of Africa and our precolonial history and civilization for a (re)new concept of self. This is an essential part of positive African identity formation since Black history has been corrupted and denied through centuries of colonialism, neocolonialism and oppression.
“The Heart of Africa: Retracing Our History” is about (re)imaging, reimagining and returning. We honour our ancestors by reclaiming all that was lost, stolen and violently taken from the over ten million Africans that were forced out of their communities and dispersed across the Atlantic and into the new world. It is a response to the seemingly perpetual colonial degradation of Africa and African people as depicted in Joseph Conrad’s nineteenth century novella, Heart of Darkness. It is a knock on the door of western consciousness in general, and a call for the people of African descent in particular, to go back and fetch our history and civilization in order to imagine and (re)create tomorrow’s story.
Jerisha Grant-Hall, OCELT, MA
Chairperson
“The Heart of Africa: Retracing Our History” is about (re)imaging, reimagining and returning. We honour our ancestors by reclaiming all that was lost, stolen and violently taken from the over ten million Africans that were forced out of their communities and dispersed across the Atlantic and into the new world. It is a response to the seemingly perpetual colonial degradation of Africa and African people as depicted in Joseph Conrad’s nineteenth century novella, Heart of Darkness. It is a knock on the door of western consciousness in general, and a call for the people of African descent in particular, to go back and fetch our history and civilization in order to imagine and (re)create tomorrow’s story.
Jerisha Grant-Hall, OCELT, MA
Chairperson
The Heart of Africa: Retracing Our History (concluded)
Pauline Jones & Jerisha Grant-Hall
Chris Bovell & Lee Miller at the Ujamaa Marketplace
Michael Bowe & Zalika Reid-Benta at the Newmarket Public Library - reading Frying Plantain
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In the Media: Paulette Henry (above)
Newmarket Kicks off Black History Month Celebrations (18 photos) 
In the Media: with Chef Maxine
Popular Workshop Explores Afro Caribbean Culture Through Food (14 Photos) 
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Gallery Exhibit
Wednesday, January 29 to Saturday, February 22, 2020
ART EXHIBITION: The Heart of Africa: Retracing our History
Adeyemi Adegbesan | Ekow Nimako
Newmarket Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street)
FREE | All Welcome
In honour of Black History Month, we are proud to present a powerful multi media exhibition in the Serpa and Community Galleries of Old Town Hall. The artists address themes of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history, identity, culture, intersectionality and activism from the perspectives of contemporary African Canadians. The array of narratives are boldly expressed in portraits and other forms. The works reflect an afro futurist aesthetic while incorporating elements of symbolism and ancestry through photography, sculpture and dance.
ART EXHIBITION: The Heart of Africa: Retracing our History
Adeyemi Adegbesan | Ekow Nimako
Newmarket Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street)
FREE | All Welcome
In honour of Black History Month, we are proud to present a powerful multi media exhibition in the Serpa and Community Galleries of Old Town Hall. The artists address themes of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history, identity, culture, intersectionality and activism from the perspectives of contemporary African Canadians. The array of narratives are boldly expressed in portraits and other forms. The works reflect an afro futurist aesthetic while incorporating elements of symbolism and ancestry through photography, sculpture and dance.
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Adeyemi Adegbesan is a Toronto based photographic artist whose practice aims to examine the intersectionality of Black identity. Reflecting on Blackness through pre-colonial – colonial - present day and future timelines, across regions, religions, varying levels of income, and political lines; Adegbesan interrogates the dichotomy of the richness of Black experiences with the imposed societal homogeneity of 'Blackness'. Through his work Adegbesan pulls from these varying elements to create Afro-futuristic portraits that embody history, future, and culture all in one.
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Ekow Nimako has been making art with LEGO® his entire life. This Toronto based artist has successfully carved out a niche for himself building sculptures out of black LEGO®. It began when he was four and later took root in the sculpture studios of York University, evolving over the years into a fascinating contemporary art practice unlike any other. Along with his uniquely fluid building style, keen attention to form, and content deeply rooted in other-worldly Black narratives, Nimako’s artwork beautifully transcends the iconic LEGO® bricks to reach new heights of materiality and substance.
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List of Events
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