Ukutula (oo-koo-too-lah) is a new word created from two Nguni words: in both isiXhosa and  isiZulu, “ukucula” means “to sing”; “ukuthula” can mean either “to be quiet” or “to be calm.”

Ukutula: Our Timeless Journeys is inspired by African dance and music. The show invites us to move among an extraordinary diversity of traditional West African masks from the Justin and Elisabeth Lang Collection of African Art at Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University in Kingston. They appear in chorus with five Canadian artists from the African and Asian diasporas: Winsom Winsom, Camille Turner, Jessica Karuhanga, Anthony Gebrehiwot and Jill Glatt.

This exhibition draws inspiration from two exceptional African creative genres, Igbo masquerade from Nigeria and Cape jazz from South Africa, providing a rich score with which to work. The brilliant vision of African jazz allows for glimpses of how colonial collections can move alongside contemporary art, it can also make us think of the historical basis of musical mixing, and the spiritual qualities of masquerade.

These qualities are part of Ukutula and demonstrate lessons we in Canada can learn from African ontologies. As a link from the past to the present, Ukutula demonstrates the richness in mixing creative forms, the sonic formation of Black geographies, the importance of navigating the world collectively and the loving presence of those who came before as they guide us to new futures.

Ukutula is a travelling exhibition, developed by Agnes and hosted by Museum London.  Made possible by the Justin and Elisabeth Lang fund and supported by the Ontario Council for the Arts and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Image credit: The Diviner – Mokgobi, 2024. Digital photograph series. Courtesy of the artist. Photography, collage and creative direction by Anthony Gebrehiwot. Art Direction and styling by Anastasia De Lyon.