Ubiquitous Shadow
Margaret Abeshu
With «Ubiquitous Shadow”, Margaret Abeshu is rediscovering and highlighting different cultural forms that has emerged and are still being practiced within the afro and black diaspora today. Spiritual practices that has its origin in pre-colonial native west African religion and that has managed to distribute itself, survive, change, adapt and become a new form of spirituality within marginalised ethnic groups in the western world.
Abeshu revisits childhood memories from a time her family and community used to practice Waaqeffanna - an ethnic religion practiced among the Oromo people in Ethiopia. She draws a parallel between her own experiences of Waaqeffanna, in relation to religions practiced by the African diaspora across the Atlantic, for example Santeria in Cuba, Candomblé in Brazil and Haitian Vodou.
Ubiquitous Shadow
Ubiquitous Shadow consists of a wearable sculpture and a series of chandeliers which are braided with kanekalon hair. Through this exhibition environment, Abeshu recreates an initiation-based experience where she is welcoming an important spirit of the Waaqeffanna called Ayyaana. It’s believed that everything - beings and objects has their own Ayyaana. By offering agency to both spirits and objects, Abeshu facilitates with this exhibition a potential communication between spirits, objects and people.
Margaret Abeshu
Margaret Abeshu is an interdisciplinary designer based in Oslo. She works with installation and wearable sculptures. In her research-based practice Abeshu rediscovers perspectives from marginalized thinkers, artists, writers and radical movements that are questioning the socio-political realities constructed out of imperialism, colonialism and capitalism. Abeshu has recently graduated from the art academy in Oslo with a MFA in fashion and costume design