The road to discovery and healing through African art
Image by Primo Mauridi Jasmin
by Andréas Ruth Deolinda
The portrayal of African art has often been ensnared by themes of struggle and hopelessness, captivity and despair, and history laced with loss. The continent has suffered many lifetimes and endured perilous feats, and from the struggle has risen a people whose voice and charm like the Ouzoud Falls boasts its magnificent resilience, and from its mouth flows the thunderous cries of martyrs and contemporary populate who long to be seen for who they are and not an imposed ideology.
At this intersection, the work of African artists no longer remains simply to tell stories, but to transform the future generations on whose shoulders lies the legacy of the continent. On whose bellies healing is birthed. In the aftermath of colonialism and the ongoing imperialist regimes that plague the motherland, there is a need for healing and activism that addresses our now, and challenges the status quo. It is through the delivering power of art in all its forms that the depth of our yearning is brought to the surface and thus finds collective healing.
The work of African artists becomes that much more pivotal. For example, Dennis Osadebe, a Nigerian painter, whose pivot to art was brought on by a vision of African art that “embraces heritage while looking forward to the future.” In a TED Talk delivered in 2023, Osadebe shares that his use of art is to evoke propensity to societal issues occurring in his home country. Such as a video game about a protagonist, a young student, on his way to catch a school bus while avoiding police officers. Through this media, the artists invite the gamer to experience the reality of police brutality in Nigeria. Albeit digital, the gamer is drawn affectively to engage in the “issues of bad policing” and its effects on an even more critical issue: education. The multifaceted impetus that impacts the reality of the struggle for education is here compounded by the imposed aggression of law enforcement.
In 2017, Touria El Glaoui, a French-Moroccan owner of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair delivered a speech in which she shared that art is instrumental. “It is instrumental as it really inspires us to ask questions, but it is also instrumental because it ignites change.” Further stating that “Seeing diversity in race and ethnicity in contemporary art is the only way that we’ll see changes in the art industry. But also for the relation between Africa and the Western canon.” Thus, highlighting the importance of the art scene for the emancipation of African art as told by its people and its diaspora.
In an effort to fully grasp the tension between art and reality within the continent, unraveling two persistent challenges — socioeconomic and environmental — allows deeper dialogue. Through the exploration of these issues, we delve into the creative expressions of two artists, Primo Mauridi Jasmin from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nina Salim, from Rwanda, gaining insights into how they use their art to confront and address pressing dilemmas in their respective countries.
Primo Mauridi Jasmin
Reviving the Great Lake region of Africa through art
Our journey takes us to central Africa, where we meet two nations comprising the Great Lakes region, namely Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DRC, a land marked by a wealth of natural resources, faces many environmental and socioeconomic challenges. This should not come as a surprise when a country of bountiful resources is continuously exploited and weakened governance becomes a pervasive factor in the equation.
On the other hand, Rwanda is a nation largely dependent on agriculture. With poverty looming and the majority of its population still recovering from the 1994 genocide, Rwanda’s political landscape offers an opportunity for dialogue from a socioeconomic and environmental viewpoint. Effectively, discovering artists whose creativity offers an opportunity for reimagination while offering a space for healing through the art medium is critical.
Healing through photography and film
As we travel to the DRC, we meet a native artist, Primo Mauridi Jasmin, born in the Eastern DRC, Goma. After an unrealized qualification in the environment and sustainable development, the artist, known synonymously as Primo, started his artistic journey in classical theater in 2013. His entry into the world of arts paved his way to a career as a photographer and filmmaker in which he was introduced to visual art and cinema by the activist filmmaker and painter Petna Ndaliko Katondolo. Katondolo is also the artistic director of the center in Goma, called Yole! Africa, which has existed for over 20 years. It is through this artistic collision that Primo takes on an Afro-futuristic artistic style.
Primo’s accolades include participation in the African futurism class led by filmmaker Kantondolo in which he created and presented the BilaMask at the Congo In Harlem Festival, in New York. In 2023, Primo represented the DRC in the 9th Edition of Jeux de la Francophonie in the photography category and was selected for the second edition of the Récontres Internationales Paris/Berlin and the 7th edition of the Lubumbashi biennial. At the same time, Primo became the official photographer for cultural events such as the “Hadisi Urban Festival, Festikivu.” For Primo, his activism through his visual artistry draws the tension of nature and the cultural landscape of the eastern region marked by instability and confronted with “the unjust wars that are imposed on this community.”
Primo Mauridi Jasmin
The conflict has brought bloodshed and various atrocities, which Primo is not only previewing, but allows the somatic expression to reflect in the work he produces. In an interview, Primo shares that when you consider “the setting in my environment, the volcano, the lake that contains the methane gas, the movement of population, the movement conditioned by wars. Communities that are in conflict, all these are elements that are easily found in my work, that is to say, that all these events, these cultural and social landscapes directly influence my artistic work.” He further adds that as an artist, photographer, and filmmaker, making films and producing photo series that make one think about these things is, for him, a way of addressing and healing the pain.
The industrial arrogance of the Goma region highlights a peculiar devastation that is both frightening and destructive as it disrupts the harmony of nature and living beings — of which all things of nature can be considered beings. For Primo, this phenomenon that disrupts the flow of life itself is explored through his artistic achievements, such as the film Mawe, which he realized in 2022 following a 2021 volcanic eruption of the Nyiragongo mountain. The mountain held particular traditional significance for the people of the northern region. It is believed the eruption was due to a feud between communities of the region and thus the eruption was a punishment imposed by a deity. The documentary was derived from community engagement and constructive dialogue.
Healing through performance art
The multifaceted nature of art allows for various explorative mediums. As we travel across to Rwanda, we meet Nina Salim, a young multidisciplinary artist who made her artistic debut 17 years ago. Her career was enriched by literature classes in Burundi, where she honed her skills in the art of writing novels and plays in poetry. Nina Salim, in addition to her talents as a writer, excels in playwriting and performance.
According to Salim, her work is distinguished by its ephemeral and immersive nature. “I create artistic experiences that transcend the boundaries of traditional forms, using my own body, storytelling, and poetry to communicate emotions and ideas. My art is not fixed in a single medium, but rather anchored in the present moment, inviting the audience to actively participate and share this unique experience” says Salim.
Using the performative medium, the social and cultural landscape has had a significant influence on Salim's artistic journey by shaping her experiences, perspectives, and sources of inspiration. Social changes inspire her to create new forms of artistic expression, while the surrounding culture makes me see how it defines aesthetic norms and relevant themes. I often react to the social, political, and cultural issues of my time, integrating these elements into my works to reflect and sometimes criticize the society around me.
In the realm of performative art, the social and cultural landscape holds profound sway over Salim's artistic evolution, molding her experiences, perspectives, and inspiration. The dynamic shifts in society fuel her drive to forge novel modes of artistic expression, while the rich tapestry of surrounding culture acts as a lens through which she perceives aesthetic norms and pertinent themes. Salim frequently responds to the prevailing social, political, and cultural issues of her era, seamlessly incorporating these elements into her works to offer reflections and, at times, critiques of the society that envelops her. Her performances sometimes touch on the spiritual sanctities that connect us to our world.
Primo Mauridi Jasmin
The therapeutic resonance of art
To better understand the cathartic healing that art offers, art psychotherapist Victoria Ashadu shares a glimpse into her practice on the efficacy of art itself.
At the forefront, according to Ashadu, art is a “non-judgemental and non-confrontational" form of communication that reveals the unconscious and breaks “barriers that would otherwise prevent communities from uniting.” At the center, is its awakening power that intercepts and builds a unique capacity to reflect on one’s own life.
Of course, when we open Pandora’s box of our unconscious and self-reflective capacity, we’re guaranteed a shift in mental well-being, allowing one to navigate the world through meaning-making processes. Not only that, but in social settings, art builds connection. For example, Ashadu shares an art therapy session with women who have experienced domestic violence. The process fosters bonds between the women while helping them to find self-empowerment and expression through the shared practice of making art.
“Studies have shown that art is an effective way to support people with their mental well-being,” adds Ashadu. “In cases where an individual may seem isolated, attending an art-making project could be a useful step in alleviating isolation.”
Art is a non-invasive approach to improving mental well-being, nurturing great self-care, and creating joy.
Through it all, just as Omar Victor Diop’s multifaceted work is distinguished by a combination of visual arts, fashion, and photographic portraiture, art morphs itself into the perfect-fitted puzzle for all.
The African way is often considered Indigenous — though I would argue that the African way paves the path towards the restoration of the continent and its habitants. This is because art is multi-lingual and it is used to actually put on, put in motion, an artistic approach that is out of the ordinary. In Ashadu’s case, the medium gave way to engaging in cross-cultural dialogue about mental health and therapeutic support.
May our work focus on the future, on experimentation, and the desire to be free. Just as Dennis Osadebe shared, “The more freedom we have to create, the more growth and development can occur.”
Primo Mauridi Jasmin