Image: Ottawa Art Gallery
The Ottawa Art Gallery will present 'ሀሌታ | Haleta: The Threshold of Being' at Galerie Annexe, Level 1, from August 8 to November 8, 2026. The exhibition brings together artists including Maria Abebe, Yasmeen Boudabés, Aurelie S. Kadjo, Kouka, Natasha Lalani, Legacy, Mariya, Meraf, Miiche, Jayda Murray, Rika, Tolu, Vafi and Yomi, with Danayit Ephrem Zeru listed as curator.
According to the gallery, the project begins from the Amharic word 'Haleta', which originated in Ge’ez, an ancient language spoken in Ethiopia. The gallery describes the term as naming a state of becoming that exists just before the first step, a threshold where possibility, hope, memory and transformation converge. The exhibition title frames that moment as something more than a beginning: a subtle instant before something comes into being.
The exhibition is organized around the idea that different languages contain words for emotions, memories and experiences that do not have direct translations. Each participating artist selected a word that carries personal significance, whether rooted in their own cultural background, heritage or language, or inspired by a concept from another culture that resonates deeply with them. The gallery says the artists interpret these words visually through painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media.
On the exhibition page, the Ottawa Art Gallery says the works aim to reveal states of being that transcend language and to celebrate the diversity of human expression. The presentation also asks viewers to reflect on what exists beyond words, in the moments and connections through which people recognize themselves in one another. The gallery’s materials present the exhibition as a collaborative effort that uses visual art to explore the relationship between language, emotion and identity.
The exhibition is also tied to the gallery’s Curatorial Fellowship Program, which OAG says is designed to support the career growth of emerging Black Canadian curators. The page notes that the program is a partnership between the Ottawa Art Gallery, the Ottawa Black Art Kollective and the National Gallery of Canada. In the same exhibition listing, OAG also credits curatorial mentors Rebecca Basciano and Amy Wallace, French translation by Andrée-Maude Courval, design by Leah Ross and Mathieu Kirchmayer, and installation by Dan Austin and Emma Litschko.
Image listings on the exhibition page identify several works, including Jayda Murray’s 'So-won' (Korean), 2024, Aurelie S. Kadjo’s 'Fernweh' (German), 2026, Maria Abebe’s 'Ta’Burni' (Arabic), 2026, Meraf’s 'Ayzosh' (Amharic), 2026, and Kouka’s 'nou bouke' (Creole), 2025. The gallery also states that the exhibition was developed with support from RBC Foundation through OAG’s Connect: Artist Mentorship Program, and that it is presented by the Ottawa Art Gallery at Galerie Annexe | level 1 from August 8 to November 8, 2026.
