Tuesday, 19 Mar 2024
Tag: Jjuukko Hoods

Beyond Tradition & Modernity: Contemporary Art in Uganda

From the start, Uganda’s contemporary visual arts were defined by the absence of their own ‘authentic’ tradition. Throughout the early twentieth century, Makerere University’s European directors sought either to stimulate a latent African-ness of their own imagining in the students, or to push them into the future via an exposure to foreign experiments in representation

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"Uptown" by Jjuuko Hoods, acrylic on canvas 160x120cm.

Visionary Africa: “Glass Boxes are a disaster”

Dr. Allan Birabi made this remark about the impunity of increasing Glass Curtain Wall Buildings in Kampala, that disconnect the lay man from his city Kampala. This subject of belonging to a neighborhood, city or urban center, was very much a part of the discourse in the European Union conference termed “How art and architecture can make city development inclusive and sustainable”, which took place at City Hall on 18th September 2012.

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Edison Mugalu at the exhibition at AKA Gallery, February 2012.

Edison Mugalu’s art: The serendipity of success

“I have been following the trends in Uganda’s visual environment in the last decade, with keen interest and I have noted something rather distinct. While the events in art that made headlines in the period of economic recovery (1986-2000) were led by seasoned artists with predictable results, those in the last decade have been dominated by younger artists most of whom in the early stages of their careers. … Edison Mugalu typifies this cadre of younger artists who have taken to making art as their full time employment and many have made a success of it. Their work exhibit a bold and aggressive attitude which is also reflected in their marketing strategies.” Professor George Kyeyune reviews Mugalu’s work for startjournal.

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Vipaji Arena at Weaver Bird Arts Community. Photo by courtesy of Collin Sekajugo.

Creativity, innovation and experimentation sets a new pace for the Ugandan visual arts

“With a host of art spaces and projects springing up, all designed to foster creativity, innovation and experimentation of the arts, and extending art to the local people, art in Uganda is evolving in a new direction.” Dominic Muwanguzi has visited Weaver Bird Arts Community, Fasfas Art Café, 32° East and more new art venues.

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Group studios in Uganda: The Challenges of a Collective

In 2007, when Start Magazine covered the story of Mona Studio, there was an air of great expectations for the cause of young artists working together. It was a case of two charismatic artists slowly but surely etching their way into an indifferent community in Kamwokya, a suburb of Kampala city. Edison Mugalu and Anwar Nakibinge were forging an art collective to make an impact on the local community. And they almost pulled it off, but for the ignorance of one major factor at play in any alliance; the divergence of vested interests.

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Kaddu Sebunya

Kaddu Sebunya

Art collector Kaddu Sebunya: “I would go to Brazil for one of Fabian’s paintings”

“Artists and the Ugandan art industry should be more responsive to what Ugandans like to relate to in terms of their culture, history of the country and current affairs. They should take an example from the music industry…musicians are doing very well in capturing what people want to hear. “
A Q&A with art collector Kaddu Sebunya of USAID-STAR.

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