Freshness and new potential for creativity at AKA gallery

The five artists in the group show Artistic Vision of Uganda explore different styles in painting as they tackle themes in their immediate surroundings and of personal experience

ARTS | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | An exhibition of works by young artists is always full of surprises. Firstly, their art is honest to their personal experiences and, luckily, is devoid of the pretentious aura that is typical of some of the art by mid-career and established artists. Secondly, one notices a rare quality of freedom in their creative process, which again you may struggle to find in the artists who’ve already gained some recognition in the industry. These traits will always compel a discerning art lover to the art of these youngsters, and if they have some money to spend, they will definitely not hesitate to make a purchase of one or two of their works. This experience is what one will encounter at the ongoing group show Artistic Vision of Uganda at AKA gallery, where five young artists, fresh from the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial Fine Art, Makerere University, are showing their paintings in different styles in a month-long show. From a critical perspective, there’s a common characteristic of freshness and artistic freedom that permeates through each artist’s work that leaves the viewer captivated by what is being showcased.

Focusing on children as a recurrent motif in his work, Bwengye Adrian draws the viewer’s attention to the subject of identity and memory, where he paints the youngsters playing different games to evoke his childhood memories and the beauty that surrounds being young and innocent. These games, like playing in the puddles of rainwater, playing traditional instruments or trying to feed the cows large clusters of bananas, are not only fun moments for the children, but the artist carries an attachment to his past that somehow shapes how he perceives life in the present. In painting the children characters and the different games they’re involved in, the artist seemingly is communicating a message of the beauty of growing up in rural communities that gives children an opportunity to freely interact with one another through playing and through the process fundamental aspects of human character are built. Unluckily, this is not the case in many urban settings where children’s interaction with their contemporaries is often restricted because of the parameters created by modernity.  In light of this disparity, the artist constructs a narrative of nostalgia not only for himself but for many people who grew up in rural communities where community interaction was both promoted and celebrated through such forms of socialization.

The waterscape paintings by Kigozi Kenneth reveal much more than the studio competence of the young artist. They’re also a testimony to a vivid expression of the artist’s attachment and connectedness to the subject he’s interrogating and therefore inspire a sense of deep curiosity in the artist’s work. Working with a palette knife, the artist seamlessly evokes emotional overtones in his work that the viewer is tempted to spend more time looking at it to further connect with its meaning. It is obvious that the artist possesses mastery in the skill of colour application, but also his brilliant interpretation of subject matter on canvas should be lauded. In his paintings of the fishermen’s boats sailing at sunset, the artist excellently captures this picturesque moment, and in doing so, effortlessly transports the viewer to the scene at the lake. In another painting of the three hippopotamuses swimming in water, the artist depicts more than the bully size and ferocious nature of this semi-aquatic mammal. He also celebrates the overall beauty of the natural wild depicted by the large stream of water that flows endlessly into the far distance and the lush vegetation that surrounds it.

This group show of five young artists is evidence of the immense young talent on the Ugandan contemporary art scene. Their work is not only captivating but also reveals an underlying potential for exceptional excellence that needs to be watered in order to flourish. However, it is incumbent on the gallery that has given them an opportunity to showcase their work, without curtailing their creative freedom, to motivate them to push the boundaries of their art. This can be done through mentorship programs that will facilitate their critical thinking to what they create and how they can improve it. Similarly, through such guidance, they can develop a strong identity for themselves and their art that will help them leverage in the globalized art market.

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The exhibition features works by Kenneth Kigozi, Ahebwa Irene, Paul Atuhurra, Mujjuzi Jonathan and Bwengye Adrian Henry. This group exhibition is showing for a month at AKA gallery, located on Bukoto Street, next to Alliance Francaise and Goethe Zentrum Kampala (UGCS)