By Sarah El-Chaar
At Halifax’s Khyber Centre for the Arts, an exhibition of eight rag dolls sits side by side. Each painted with bright colours, some scribbled with personal statements such as “R.I.P. to the versions of me I used to be.” Martha Mutale is the artist behind these unique dolls.
The doll at the Nocturne exhibit with “R.I.P. to the versions of me I used to be” painted onto its fabric, taps into the grief Mutale feels over not growing up in Africa, as well as missing the family she has there.
Mutale was born in Zambia but emigrated to Canada as a baby when her mother got a Commonwealth scholarship to study. She obtained her Canadian citizenship at age four and has called Nova Scotia home for most of her life.
For a long time, art has been her medium for self-expression. Mutale started out writing poetry and as she grew, she branched and flourished in different art forms: From sewing to painting and stuffing, Mutale created everything by hand.
In 2023, during an art residency in Zambia, she did a body mapping workshop. Here, she traced an outline of her body which eventually inspired the project of doll making.
She calls her dolls “my little creatures, my mini-mes.”
Originally, her little creatures were five feet tall. They were sized down for Rag Dolls 2.0 at the Nocturne exhibition that took place on Oct. 18, 2025. The sizing down took place mostly due to time constraints, since the making of the exhibit took just under two months.
Mutale’s creativity extends to the sourcing of products for her art: She uses a mixture of African textiles, Value Village fabrics and even Dollarama supplies. At first, she wanted to exclusively use African materials, inspired by the clothes her mother used to fabric for her and her siblings. Mutale concluded that it would restrict her art, so she began experimenting with a mixture of different materials.
Mutuales’ art has helped her to connect and reflect on her roots: Growing up in Canada as the child of immigrants, Mutale said she felt like an outsider when she returned to Zambia for an art residency.
“I felt more like an immigrant in Zambia because I don’t speak my language fluently,” she said.
Mutale said that making these dolls reconnected her with her inner child and fond memories of playing with dolls as a young girl. Here, she had to ask herself what it meant to call two places home at once.
“It’s complicated because sometimes I feel like Nova Scotia is more home, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s home. And then, sometimes I’m desperately trying to hold onto this Zambian identity that I barely even have,” she said.
After years of juggling her two identities, at 38, she concludes that home is wherever she feels most like herself.
“We’re complex individuals and I would never ask anyone to exist in one way, because that’s absurd,” she said.
Mutale acknowledges there are current political debates around immigration, as her exhibition’s theme is rooted in the immigration experience.However, she didn’t want that to define her art.
“If I make my dolls about every single person who doesn’t like immigrants, then I’m letting them win,” she said.
“I’d rather remind myself to let my inner child be free.”
While Mutale spends much of her time creating and discovering new art forms, she also juggles two jobs. Mutale works as a sales associate at Liquid Gold Olive Oils and Vinegars, and as a part-time cashier at Boulangerie La Vendéenne. She said managing all three roles taught her a lot about time management.
Other than poetry and doll-making, Mutale wants to explore other art forms, such as sketching and embroidery. She aspires to open an online store and an art gallery.
“I love organizing, I love art, I love community,” she said.
“Whatever I try next, I can’t wait. I’m excited.”
