L’exil
MIFO Gallerie d’art Eugène-Racette | October 1 to October 30, 2022
L'exil is inspired by Warsan Shire’s poem “Home” depicting the migrant and refugee experience of forcibly fleeing a native country. It is described as being chased away by home.
Sarah-Mecca Abdourahman animates a similar concept through the lens of a first-generation Canadian. She demonstrates the dangers of residing in a country where diasporic communities are met with xenophobia, microaggressions, and discrimination, ultimately producing a second wave of chasing. This second chase creates a longing to run back to the homeland, as a need is created to connect to community, country, and family.
The artist illustrates multifaceted stories of this reconnection to home. Family archives are used in each painting to demonstrate the visual storytelling of her Somali and Indian communities. The story is one of migration, early childhood understanding of alienation developed by White spaces, and the difficulties that arise when finally attempting to return home.