Bold, beautiful and colossus art

ART |  Dominic Muwanguzi | It is a rare piece of artwork which combines studio ingenuity, artistic masterly and individual proficiency. When you encounter with it, you will certainly be taken by surprise and probe further what the artist was thinking about when they sculpted it. The sculpture Victim of African Genocide stands at 7ft tall and with its height, it immediately defies the normal size of sculptures showcased in many gallery spaces in Kampala. Its bold and colossal display is evocative of the painful message of genocide it is examining; albeit the fact that the artist chooses to abstract the message to avoid inciting terror, trauma and bitterness in the eyes and mind of the viewer. But the evident deformation of bodily features of the subject like the face, chest and arms suggest a male figure exposed to severe discomfort.

The sculpture was inspired by the theme of genocide in Africa and was commissioned by now deceased Jewish American sculptor Fred Manasse from Ugandan artist Charles Kamya in 2022. According to Kamya, he says the artist approached him to produce a sculpture on the theme of genocide which would be included in the sculpture park he was building in New England, U.S.A.

“Fred was a sculptor who was very passionate about the theme of genocide because he was a survivor of the Jewish holocaust. He had lost his entire family during the genocide and had decided to dedicate his career to create art that speaks against this inhumane act,” Kamya says.

When Fred made the commission he asked Kamya to create a sculpture interrogating genocide in his immediate surroundings. As such, the artwork was inspired by the several genocides which have occurred in the region like the Rwanda genocide, LRA genocide and the Luwero Triangle genocide.

“I studied these genocides and observed that men are the biggest victims of this brutality. This is because the assailants usually mete out the worst form of torture to them because they believe they’re brave enough to endure such torturous acts. Similarly, during the torture the victims always have their body parts mutilated and often are left to die in such terrible pain,” he says.

This dreadful experience is figuratively expressed in the human figure with its chest thrusted infront and the mutilated hands tucked away at the back. This pose evokes a feeling of someone being tortured and is unable to disentangle himself from this misery. The expression of his extreme vulnerable condition is captured in the manner in which the subject jerks their head upwards as if to beseech for God’s intercession.

The victim is overcome with so much pain that his only alternative is to implore the intervention of his creator to rescue him from this terror unleashed on his life. But through the artist’s signature technique of working with flat, curved and dented surfaces, and patterns to create a playful and cheerful atmosphere in the artwork, he succeeds in making the figure palatable to everyone. “I was intent to avoid frightening anyone who would see this sculpture despite the depressing subject of genocide it examines. This way I made an effort to abstract it such that I would invite as much curiosity from the public as I wanted, but also create a possibility of enjoyment of the artwork,” the artist explains.

With Victims of African Genocide, it is undisputable that Charles Kamya is a master sculptor. The ability to create a balance between sophistication in studio practice and simplicity in the message that is conveyed is a quality that can only be attributed to an artist who has fully mastered his craft. Perhaps, in commissioning this sculpture from the artist, this is exactly what the Jewish-American artist was looking for: an artwork that can straddle the identity of exceptional studio deftness and an enduring symbol of inhumane behaviour. Therefore the successful execution of this master piece invites us to reflect on what great art is and how we should embrace it. Great art is authentic, emotionally provocative and thoughtful inviting the viewer to deeply connect with its underlying message both in the present and future.