Second Skin
 

This project examines themes of migration, colonial heritage, wounds to heal and the spaces inbetween.

Second skin is an ongoing artistic exploration looking at my personal history as a Ugandan in relation to textile. Afraid of beginning the journey not only because of having to go back into the past - a past my ancestors were punished for celebrating - but also because of the practicality of having to make the expensive journey back to Uganda once the material was used up. 

 

Made of traditional fabric from fibres of fig bark ‘Olubugo’, whose trees are found all over Uganda as the soil is fertile, the material is processed by removing the harsh bark with a club-like tool that allows the fibre to come through. Contrary to the wax prints brought by the Europeans as a way to sell commercial textiles on the African continent, the figcloth remains one of the most revered and respected textile used for ceremonies and formal functions today.

 

It’s taken me 10 years to begin this journey but, I hope to use it as a tool to process my own experience with colonial wounds by revisiting my rich history in order to heal.