Ka Bogso is a five piece art exhibit that was shown in Olin Arts Center from Sept. 24 to Oct 3. This visual art piece displayed a newly developed theory – centered around five Rs – about Somali refugee women’s intergenerational healing and growth. Chronologically – or from left to right – the pieces are titled “Running,” “Resettlement,” “Residual Stagnation,” “Reconciliation,” and “Resolution.”

This display was a collaboration between Fowsia Musse, Yun Garrison, and Won Kyoung Lee. All three collaborators are women of color – one refugee and two immigrants to Maine. The oral theory was developed by Musse and transcribed by Yun Garrison, Assistant Professor of Psychology. Their journey together, as friends and colleagues, was summarized beside their art display – emphasizing that the collaborative process was almost as important as the theory. The five pieces of physical artwork was created by Won Kyoung Lee, an immigrant artist in Maine. 

This project has been going on for eight years; Musse said she had the idea of creating the five Rs in 2016. Initially, she developed what became the third stage (“Residual Stagnation”). Then, she moved to develop the first stage (“Running”). Perhaps the nonlinearity of the order of development reflects a deeper message within the healing process. By the end of 2019, Musse completed the final stage (“Resolution”). 

Garrison first met Musse during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Sam Boss from the Harward Center connected me with Fowsia Musse, the Executive Director of Maine Community Integration. Our conversations quickly developed into a meaningful connection as we shared experiences of living in the U.S. as women of color and discussed the shared cultural values found in both Somali and South Korean communities.”

The two began to participate in each other’s work in 2021-2023. Musse visited and spoke in Garrison’s course, Psychology of Oppression and Liberation at Bates.

In October 2022, Musse was shot several times while visiting family in Ethiopia. She was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland to recover. Garrison frequently visited to record the final version of the 5Rs Theory to further support intergenerational healing and growth among Somali women. Later, Garrison was invited to lead a weekly Somali youth group while Musse was recovering from injury.  

Just last week, Musse and Garrison set up their first public art display in Olin. Joining the team is a Psychology thesis student – Olivia Gidlow – assisting in gathering feedback from participants through one-on-one interviews. 

Garrison emphasized the collaborative nature of the project. “…all the fabric used came from [my home in South Korea, including pieces from [my] grandmother.” Onlookers are encouraged to touch the art, feeling the texture of the multiple fabrics. 

“The artworks were created by Won Kyoung Lee…using acrylic paints and fabrics on five 22×28 wood panels,” Garrison elaborated. 

This exhibit was in Lewiston where there are a high number of Somali refugees. According to the Sun Journal, Lewiston “is home to an estimated 6,000 immigrants, 16% of [the] population.” However, the themes of recovery from trauma and violence are applicable to many audiences. 

In the Western world, we assign a lot of value to statistical findings and quantitative methods because we view them as “objective” (Strunk and Hoover 2019). This research is not quantitative, and still just as valuable. Oftentimes, “…[quantitative] psychological methods may not fully capture the experiences of people from the Global South or the relational aspects of knowledge production,” Garrison said. 

A vital part of community-engaged research is “rethinking how psychological methods can be transformed to find the answers that communities truly need,” Garrison added.

When looking at this display, it is recommended to start from the far left to first read the informational box on the wall. Then, step to the right and take in the paintings one by one. The display encourages you to resonate with the art and theory behind it in whichever way you see fit, but if you feel like adding some context, there are informational blurbs by each painting.

When Musse attended her exhibit for the first time, she “felt overwhelmed with emotions, thinking about my sister, my parents, and both Yun and Wonkyoung, along with everyone who has supported me unconditionally throughout this journey.”

At the end of her email, she also wrote a short, versed excerpt that compliments and contextualizes the art display. 

“Quiet strength, a gentle force,

In shared tragedy, we find our course.

Though we’ve faced the darkest days,

It’s our resilience that truly stays.

We are not defined by pain or loss,

But by the courage that we emboss.

To Lewiston and my family afar,

In unity, we shine like a guiding star.”

• Fowsia Musse

Next, Ka Bogso will move to downtown Lewiston. “We’re already receiving valuable feedback from those who have engaged with the artwork and stories. Our vision is to strengthen the interactive art experience, creating a space that reflects the nonlinear nature of healing and growth and Somali culture,” Garrison said.