Exhibitor calls for resilient voices for social justice

A PhD researcher in the Fine Arts, Rejoice Makafui Tsotorvor, who is staging a solo exhibition to illustrate how the voices of the marginalised can be harnessed to promote social justice in the country, has said that when they (the marginalised) unrelent in attaining their rights, they could build resilience and help to balance the power dynamics in society.

"When people's voices are not heard, it gives room for injustice in the society; but if these people are empowered, they can be key contributors to national development," she said an interview with the Daily Graphic at an exhibition dubbed "What If: Heterotopian Speculations" at the Archaeology Museum of the University of Ghana.

Exhibited works

The solo exhibition juxtaposes speculative narratives through an innovative use of mistletoe galls, which are tree parasites, as metaphorical catalysts.

The exhibition was hinged on six masterpiece art woks  - The Voice of the Unheard Testimony series 1 (2025); The Voice of the Unheard Testimony series 2 (2025), The Voice of the Unheard Testimony series 3 (2025), Suspended Between Worlds (2025), Unveiling the Unseen (2025) and Echoes of Memory (2025).

Ms Tsotorvor’s art exhibition draws inspiration from German arts specialists - Kathe Kollwitz's "The Voice of the Unheard" to envision a more just and equitable society.

She stressed that rather than always leaving under the shadow of voicelessness, all persons must fight for justice in the collective interest of the country.
 

Representation

Ms Tsotorvor said the “Voice of the Unheard” had been used to envision a more just and equitable society in which citizens had the opportunity to live optimally.

Touching on the metaphorical use of the mistletoe, she said although those parasitic organisms were initially seen as preys, they eventually become part of the tree if they were not pruned.

She added that if attention was given to voiceless people, their energies could be channelled to national development.

Symbolism

Ms Tsotorvor explained that the mistletoe galls, which had been displayed in the Archaeology Museum, symbolised the subtle yet powerful ways marginalised groups asserted their presence and challenged dominant narratives.

“The rhythmic arrangement of mistletoe galls symbolises cultural resilience and the cyclical nature of history, echoing the enduring power of marginalised traditions,” she added.

The exhibitor also said the mistletoe under the “Suspended Between Worlds (2025)” reflected the existence of marginalised communities.

“The artwork explores themes of social precarity, the constant threat of erasure, and the struggle for balance in a hostile environment.

It visually represents the tension between visibility and invisibility, inviting viewers to contemplate the existential challenges faced by those existing on the margins,” she said.

Ms Tsotorvor  said the exhibition also captured the interconnectedness of life.