Lost in Abstraction: Lokho Kotile Invites Minneapolis to Sit With the Full Weight of Emotion and Healing
Minneapolis-based Oromo artist Lokho Kotile presents Lost in Abstraction, a solo exhibition using watercolors and digital illustration to explore emotion, identity, belonging and healing through abstract figures and layered textures that invite viewers to reflect on their own emotional lives.
In her latest solo exhibition, “Lost in Abstraction,” Minneapolis-based artist Lokho Kotile invites viewers into an intimate exploration of emotion, identity and healing. One that doesn’t shy away from chaos but leans into it.
Kotile, an Oromo artist, illustrator, curator and storyteller, uses watercolors and digital illustration to examine themes of identity, belonging, cultural memory and self-reflection. Her work draws from her experiences growing up in the diaspora, blending personal narrative with broader cultural connections. In this exhibition, those themes take on an introspective tone, shaped by a period of uncertainty in her own life.
“Art has always just been the only stable thing in my life,” Kotile said.
For Kotile, “Lost in Abstraction” is a reflection of survival. During moments when life felt overwhelming, she turned to art not only as a creative outlet but as a home. The exhibition traces that relationship, showing how art became both a companion and a form of release during difficult times.
Kotile pointed to 2020 as a turning point. During a period of unrest and uncertainty in the Twin Cities, she made the decision to fully commit to her artistic path, a choice that led her to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in visual studies.
Throughout the gallery, viewers encounter abstract figures, fluid lines and layered textured pieces rendered in soft yet striking tones. At first glance, the palette of warm pastels may appear gentle, but beneath that softness lies deeper tension.
“I use a lot of soft colors, despite the emotions not being the best,” Kotile said. “I think I kind of relate it inwardly. It’s like we like to put on a facade.”
That contrast is intentional. For Kotile, color becomes a language that communicates the full range of human emotion.
“Sometimes we’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re OK, but we’re really not,'” she said. “And I guess I use these soft yellow, pink, even red colors to invoke that.”
Her use of red carries particular weight. A color associated with passion, chaos, love and intensity, it mirrors the complexity of emotions she seeks to express. The result is work that feels both vulnerable and controlled, inviting viewers to sit with contradictions rather than resolve them.
Kotile intentionally creates space for viewers to reflect on their own emotional lives. Prompts placed alongside the artwork ask visitors to consider how they are feeling and how they process those feelings. For Kotile, that interaction is essential. Art, she says, should not only be seen but felt and carried beyond the walls of the gallery.
“I just really hope that people take away that no matter what feelings we feel, sadness, chaos, feeling lost… just having that ability to recognize your emotions,” she said.
That emphasis on emotional honesty is at the heart of her message. Rather than striving for perfection, Kotile encourages both herself and her audience to show up fully and authentically.
“You don’t have to be perfect, just show up,” she said. “Even if you’re feeling chaotic or feeling hopeful or feeling lost, just show up. Be kind to yourself.”
In a moment when many are navigating uncertainty and emotional fatigue, “Lost in Abstraction” stands as an offering rooted in vulnerability, reflection and connection. A reminder that even in moments of confusion and unrest, there is space for growth and healing.
Lizzy Nyoike is a Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication student and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.