The Bermuda National Gallery is pleased to present “I Am Because You Are,” the first solo show by emerging Bermudian artist Gherdai Hassell, which opens in March 2021.
The title of the exhibition, “I Am Because You Are,” is a reference to the African proverb, “Ubuntu.” The saying, which speaks to our shared humanity, is taken from the Zulu phrase, “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” which directly translates as: “a person is a person through other people.” In scrutinizing her personal history, Hassell weaves an imagined narrative of Bermuda and its people, merging past, present, and future.
The multi-media exhibition merges photographic installation with portraiture in a meditation on time and the search for connection. Fusing past, present and future, “I Am Because You Are” reclaims a shared history by re-imaging lost identities and giving a voice to those who didn’t have one.
