That art is one of the most wonderful experiences that have complimented human existence is an indisputable fact. Because of its significance as a close companion, art is said to have been ‘founded’ more than 30,000 years ago by cave men in south eastern France, according to the 2004 discoveries by Jean Marie Chauvet and company. These cave paintings that have persisted to date, in their unadulterated form, tell the story of how art has transcended all ancient civilisations, including Egypt. Today, the countless transformations that have typified the history of art notwithstanding, art remains inextricably intertwined with world cultures. In some countries such as Italy and France, art remains the embodiment of national pride and identity.
Be that as may, one question will continue to dog many: what kind of power does art wield over human existence? Does that purported power exist in the first place? If so, to what measure has it affected human emotion?
The advent of modern art has seen the emergence of terminologies such art therapy. This tern insinuates the use of art for psychosocial rehabilitation. Art therapy has indeed become a big industry in modern medicine, particularly in the field of psychiatry. In Uganda the practice is taking root in both hospitals and civil society organisations.
One such organisation is Wipe the Tears Africa (WITA) that is based on Balintuma Road, Nakulabye in Kampala. It deals with rehabilitation of prisoners, ex-convicts and street children. A look at their portfolio of work shows juveniles in Naguru Remand Home, inmates in Kasangati Prison as well as street kids based in Kisenyi slums ostensibly responding to their therapeutic overtures. And there the question comes again: can art actually wipe away tears from the eyes of case-hardened convicts or street rogues?  If so, how many tears have been wiped through the efforts of WITA?
Doreen Ruranga who works with WITA attests that there is a power latent in art to transform mindsets, attitudes and behaviours. Although they had hitherto been accustomed to using other conventional tools, particularly counseling, their discovery of art has since proved a magic wand for the therapy. Their chief artist, Tusiime Mathias, is no stranger in the local art fraternity. His rather novice art form still baffles many artists and collectors alike, from far and wide. His approach is unlike the conventional; he treats the subject with utmost blithe. His casually rendered figures, colours and media in turn elicit an unfussy feeling from the viewer. Â
Much more, it is difficult to understand why WITA chose Tusiime and/or his art to be at the forefront of their campaign. Whatever the answers to those rhetoric questions, one thing is clear: art remains one of the biggest mysteries the world has born. From the prisoner in Kasangati, the street scoundrel in Kisenyi to the young scalawag in Naguru Remand Home, art has a boundless aptitude to soothe the emotions of the rich and to tame the madness of the wretched.
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written by Rev Amos Kasibante, February 05, 2010
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