While Conflict Persists in South Sudan, Her Home Is Where the Art Is

For Abul Oyay Deng Ajak, The Baobab House in South Sudan is home. It is also an art gallery and a gathering place during lingering political instability in the world’s youngest country.

When Oyay moved into The Baobab House in 2019, there was no grand plan for the small redbrick home. But she and a friend organized concerts, art workshops, and exhibitions—and the visitors began coming.

War had entered the intimate spaces of Oyay's life. As a child, she was separated from her mother amid the conflict. Her father, a member of Sudan People’s Liberation Army, had to flee, she said. Her paternal grandmother, who made traditional crafts, became one of the most important figures in her childhood. 

“Art really helped me,” she said. “I was able to get away from sitting at home in misery.”