Artists from diaspora communities are converging in the Twin Cities art scene this weekend to share stories rooted in ancestral connection, belonging and the evolution of cultural traditions across continents. Through the symbolism of a sacred Oromo sycamore tree, healing plants brought by Hmong refugees and a photo series connecting Lagos, Nigeria, to Minneapolis, three new exhibits show how art flourishes when communities are given the space to tell their own stories.

Oromo artists gather “Under the Odaa Tree”

At the Oromo Community of Minnesota, a new generation of Oromo visual storytellers will debut, work in “Under the Odaa Tree,” a one-night group exhibit exploring heritage, identity and the meaning of home.

Curated by artist Lokho Kotile and community organizer Naima Badri, the show draws its name from an emblem of resilience, community and self-governance. 

“Within the Oromo flag, you have this sycamore tree, which we call the Odaa tree,” Kotile said. “This is a place where people gather to make political decisions, to settle disputes, where elders gather to give wisdom to the young ones. It really is a hub for who the Oromo people are.” 

The tree stands at the heart of the Gadaa system, a centuries-old democratic framework practiced by the Oromo people across Ethiopia and northern Kenya. Under this system, society is organized into age-based groups that cycle every eight years, each cohort carrying distinct responsibilities in political leadership, social structure and cultural preservation. 

Minnesota hosts one of the largest Oromo populations in the U.S., yet “there’s not really spaces for art,” Badri said. 

The exhibit “is something that I wish I had when I was younger,” Kotile added. “Any art spaces that I would go to, a lot of the time, we’d get lumped in with other groups and so we don’t have that showcase where we can just show who we are as people, and our culture.”

“Under the Odaa Tree” was created to address that absence. Supported by a $10,000 Visual Arts Fund grant, the project provided six emerging artists and first-time exhibitors with stipends, weekly artist development workshops in July and the opportunity to present their work in a public setting.

The community showcase will feature Milkessa Gaga’s illustrations of Black characters inspired by Japanese manga and anime; Fatima Duba’s mosaics and calligraphy reflecting her experiences as Muslim American woman; Murata Wolldeyohannes’ photographs of daily life in Northeast Minneapolis; Siinian Ephrem’s mixed media exploring her identity; Abdullahi Duba’s photographs imagining home as a feeling rather than a physical place; and Mustariha Webo’s digital art honoring Oromo traditions. 

The evening will also include live music and dance by the Oromo Youth Association of Minnesota, along with a traditional coffee ceremony.

Hmong art at the Arboretum

A dozen Hmong Minnesotan artists reflect on what it means to carry home across continents in the “Verdant Remedies: Unearthing Hmong Art and Nature” exhibit, now on view at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Reedy Gallery.

The exhibit — which brings together paintings, social justice illustrations, food-inspired art, textiles, ceramics and woodcut prints — is presented alongside “Seeds of Knowledge & Healing,” one of the country’s first Hmong botanical gardens, curated by herbalist Zongxee Lee. 

Her garden traces her family’s story of migration after the Vietnam War and the traditional medicinal plants they brought with them.

Photo series captures life in Lagos

Minneapolis-based photographer Hakeem Martins will debut his new photo book, “Echoes from Eko” in a one-night gallery event at The Arthouse. The project focuses on Martins’ visit to Lagos, Nigeria, where he reconnected with his heritage and began reflecting on the ancestral memory that runs through the Black diaspora. 

“Family lineage was the root of this project,” Martins said. “My Nigerian heritage has always played a significant role in my identity, but that connection deepened after a 2023 visit to Lagos.”

As a first-generation Nigerian, the journey stirred questions about what history lives on in Black communities across the U.S., and how the legacies of slavery, colonialism and migration continue to shape identity. 

Through portraits, street photography and poems, “Echoes from Eko” captures “times when we’ve had to confront, question, or reconnect with our roots,” Martins said. The work holds space for inherited pain and survival, while honoring how Black communities continue to find pride and joy through generations. 

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