From now until the 15th of January 2026, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe is going to be home to ‘They Still Owe Him a Boat,’ Jono Terry’s debut solo exhibition.
This powerful new body of work confronts the lasting cultural, ecological, and political legacies of Lake Kariba, constructed over 60 years ago on the Zambezi River, between present-day Zimbabwe and Zambia.
‘They Still Owe Him a Boat’ weaves together photography, archival material, oral histories, and contemporary fieldwork to unpack the human and environmental cost of one of Africa’s largest hydroelectric projects—particularly the displacement of indigenous Tonga people, whose ancestral lands were submerged beneath the newly formed Lake Kariba.
The exhibition addresses themes of loss, memory, and resistance in the wake of forced displacement and environmental transformation. Terry’s work examines all that remains unresolved: promises unfulfilled, traditions disrupted, and voices long ignored. It is an unpacking of the history of colonial imposition that continues to shape identities and landscapes across Southern Africa.
“This show is a reckoning with my own relationship to Lake Kariba, it is a call to better understand the history of Zimbabwe, and it is a reclamation of the original narratives of the land,” shared Terry on his exhibition.
The exhibition marks a major milestone in Terry’s career, establishing him as a critical new voice in contemporary African art. Critically engaged and emotionally resonant, the exhibition arrives at a moment of growing global reflection on the intersecting crises of colonialism, climate change, and indigenous sovereignty. ‘They Still Owe Him a Boat’ offers a rare and necessary perspective from Zimbabwe on these pressing issues.
His sensitive yet unflinching approach invites viewers into a deeply researched and emotionally resonant exploration of postcolonial infrastructure, memory politics, and the slow violence of ecological transformation.
Based in London, the Zimbabwe-born documentary photographer, researcher, and writer, is primarily focused on post-colonial Africa. His long-term photographic projects aim to both unpack and confront colonial history whilst offering insights into its continued legacy on contemporary African society. Most recently he has been exploring the social history of Zimbabwe, the country of his birth, and the subsequent politics of belonging that remain since its independence in 1980.
The core of his practice is rooted in challenging Western, colonial narratives, acknowledging the systems of power that created them, and celebrating the innate beauty of his home.
