how many colours has the sea

how many colours has the sea (2024) is a commissioned work that pays tribute to the spirits lost in the Middle Passage—the harrowing journey of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. The room-sized structure, based on bathymetric maps of the mid-Atlantic, recreates the undersea topography where the African and North American tectonic plates meet. Made from water-jet cut aluminum, it allows viewers to metaphorically walk beneath the ocean floor.

Nine monolithic panels, or “Breath Portraits”, line the dark blue walls. Visualizing the breath of members of the Black community, they represent the survivors and their descendants, standing as protective ancestral spirits. The number nine and the room’s dark blue hue and the milky white of the aluminum pay homage to Olokun, the Yoruba Orisha of the deep ocean.

The room is filled with sounds of the ocean journey, from calm to stormy seas, and hydrophone recordings of bodies entering the water. Seating invites visitors to linger, while a headphone audio work offers personal reflections on reconnecting with the lost. The work will be activated by events, including a gathering for the Black Artistic community.

Co-commissioned by the Toronto Biennial of Art and the National Gallery of Canada through the National Engagement Initiative, and co-presented with the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. This presentation is made possible with the generous support of Waterfront Toronto.

The National Gallery of Canada’s National Engagement initiative is generously supported by Michael Nesbitt. L’engagement national du Musée des beaux-arts du Canada est généreusement appuyé par Michael Nesbitt.