The term Kaddugalamukatale is made up of three Luganda words: ‘Kaddugala mu katale’, which literally translates into ‘the Black person in the (physical) marketplace’, or in a more abstract sense ‘the Black person’s place in economy’. However, when looking closer into the etymology of ‘kaddugala’, one notices two familiar terms: ‘kaddu’, meaning ‘one small slave’, and the verb ‘okudugala’, meaning ‘to be dirty’. Despite not linguistically confirmed, if taken into consideration, the term denotes the tone of your skin to be a signifier of how likely you can become a commodity. At the same time its use today is to rather hint at a hyper-positive message around Blackness. The ambiguous title of this exhibition indicates Xenson’s engagement with multiple perspectives, the open-endedness of his artistry, and his passion to navigate a variety of concepts, and to reflect the complexity of contemporary culture. In this exhibition, the artist dives into the intersections between the Black person being buyer, salesperson and commodity at different times in history and in the present; the questions of who is buying, who or what is the commodity, and who is offering, lead into explorations of trade, consumerism, power imbalances in the global market, and Blackness – with a focus on Uganda within its global ties. With careful attention to the complexity inherent in life, Xenson creates visual narratives pointing towards patterns, personalities, and the microcosm of market communities in Uganda. Not neglecting the precarious situations such as a high level of crime, financial poverty, and being at the mercy of city officials regarding their physical existence within their space, the artist does not adopt a condescending or romanticizing gaze unto slum life either. Instead, Xenson’s work allows for a multiplicity of perspectives that can exist beyond condescension, romanticism, exoticism and victimization, judgment and arrogance.

Source: afriartgallery