Three young local artists are showcasing their works in an art exhibition titled Mukyala at the Nommo Gallery in Kampala. The exhibition invites viewers to engage in a multi-dimensional exploration of womanhood, capturing the complexities and nuances of their experiences.
“The unwavering contribution of women continues to manifest in the multifaceted roles they perform to hold the world together through nurturing families with grace and resilience. The power of women as silent architects of harmony and stability, strengthens their potential to solve problems and bridge divides in unparalleled measures,” Philip Balimunsi, the curator, writes in the exhibition statement.
Balimunsi says the exhibition also advocates for the empowerment of women.
Art works by Wamala Nyanzi, Joan Namaggwa, and Axum Kigozi are on display at the show that opened on April 26 and closes on Sunday, May 26.
Joan Namaggwa
Namaggwa, a surrealist artist and painter, has 15 oil paintings that include Graceful Guardian, The Beginning of Creation, Redemption, The Heartbeat of Motherhood, A Mother’s Eternal Embrace, and Daughter of Aphrodite. Others are Existential Equilibrium, Birth of Life, Fruit of Thy Womb,Halle and Hado, Infinite Oneness, The Ascension of Venus, Time Has Memory, The quadruple portrait and Weight of Time.
Namaggwa says that Daughter of Aphrodite is a mesmerising portrayal of divine love and maternal grace. In this painting a heavenly landscape unfolds, adorned with continuous ethereal patterns that evoke a sense of celestial beauty. At its heart, sits a lady, depicting characteristics of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, cradling a child in her warm embrace. As the epitome of maternal nurturing, she exudes tenderness and compassion, her connection with the child radiating with the essence of divine love.
“Above them, a dreamy infinity sign hovers, symbolising the eternal and boundless nature of the relationship between a mother and her child. This sign serves as a reminder of the infinite depths of love and connection that exists between them, transcending time and space,” Namaggwa emphasises.
Daughter of Aphrodite, she adds, invites viewers “to immerse themselves in the profound bond shared between mother and child.” Elsewhere, Graceful Guardian, according to the artist, “captures the essence of modern motherhood through the lens of the character of a mother swan.”
“In this painting, the swan symbolises the unwavering devotion and fierce protectiveness inherent in maternal instincts, qualities that resonate deeply with the challenges and triumphs of motherhood in today’s world,” she adds.
The Beginning of Creation is a visual exploration of the miraculous process of human creation, portrayed through the powerful symbolism of the uterus as a world unto itself. Namaggwa says the uterus takes centre-stage as the genesis of life, a fertile landscape, teeming with the potential for new beginnings.
One ovary is depicted as a fruit, symbolising the inherent fruitfulness of the womb, while plants grow abundantly from within and spread across the canvas, illustrating the ability of the uterus to bring forth life in all its abundance and diversity.
A Mother’s Eternal Embrace is a poignant depiction of a mother’s unwavering love and sacrifice amidst adversity. The mother, dressed in white, is submerged under turbulent waters, bound by chains, with a heavy ball dragging her down—a powerful metaphor for the challenges and burdens she faces in life. Despite the weight of her circumstances, she courageously struggles to rise to the surface, determined to ensure the survival of her child.
The Heartbeat of Motherhood captures the essence of maternal love and nurturing through a striking visual metaphor. In this painting, the thick, fleshy, deep red human heart of a mother stands out, its veins and arteries pulsating with life. Within the heart, a foetus steadily grows and develops, nestled within a womb, symbolising the dual role of both the uterus and a mother’s heart in bearing and nurturing a child.
“This powerful imagery speaks to the deep connection between a mother and her unborn child, illustrating how the heart, the centre of emotion and life, serves as a sacred vessel for the growth of new life,” Namaggwa discloses.
In Redemption painting, a hand of God emerges from a mystical, ghostly realm, reaching down into the depths of an ominous underwater world. Cradled within the hand is a young girl, symbolising humanity, who is seen drowning amidst the turbulent waters. Her journey to redemption is depicted with powerful imagery as she emerges from a cracked egg, signifying rebirth and the potential for transformation.
According to Namaggwa, the cracked shell represents the breaking free from the confines of the past, old patterns, and limitations. It shows the birth of freedom and the opportunity for a fresh start, alluding to the concept of being born again or experiencing a spiritual awakening.
Axum Kigozi
Kigozi has five oil paintings namely Ministration of Comfort; The Guardian’s Whisper; Motherhood Games; Out of the Picture; and Mukyala—Forgotten Beauty.
Mukyala—Forgotten Beauty depicts a woman with four elongated octopus-esque arms surrounded with plants and butterflies of different colours. The painting reminds us that the true beauty of a woman lies in her ability to handle almost every situation, tasks and experiences of life. “The power of women is rooted in how much they can handle as far as life is concerned, and the butterflies in the upper background of the painting are a symbol of hope to the society,” Kigozi says.
Out of the Picture captures the sad reality in societies, where some men are no longer fulfilling their responsibilities in homes as fathers. In the painting, a woman, carrying a mask of the face of a man, is seen teaching a boy how to pee.
“In Buganda, it is the father’s responsibility to show a boy how to be a man. But when fathers are out of the picture, mothers take on the role,” Kigozi says.
According to Kigozi, Motherhood Games is about the experiences single mothers go through to raise their children. A woman is seen drowning in the sea. She is carrying two babies in her womb, one baby is in her hand, which seems to be dead, and the other baby is trying to reach out to her for its life. And there is a man who is trying to pull her to the bottle of water.
The Guardian’s Whisper shows two women in pensive moods, carrying children in their arms. Kigozi says this painting is about the experience of mothers who go through hardships and disagreements with their partners, but shield their children from the mess.
Ministration of Comfort shows a mother closely embracing her four children. Kigozi says this painting reveals the infinite, spiritual comfort and the presence of mothers for their children even when things are falling apart.
Kigozi says that he uses oil paints on stone canvas, which renders a rough texture to his works. “These help me communicate to the hearts of my viewers of the possibility to give meaning to what would seem as rough experiences of life.”
Wamala Nyanzi
Nyanzi’s 12 linocut prints are: Beautifully Imitations; Hard Worker; I Will Be Home Soon; Mother’s Heart; The Mistress; Urban Cargo; The Way of Tomorrow; Totally in Love; Root to Marriage; Tulumbe; Market Day; and Breaking Walls.
About Wamala Nyanzi’s work
Beautifully Imitations shows a woman carrying a heavy load on her head beside her little daughter, imitating her mother with a small item on her head. Nyanzi says that this artwork symbolises how children mirror the steps of their parents and reflect the strength passed down onto the young ones.
Hard Worker shows a woman toiling through the night under a candle casting light showing her unwavering dedication as she silently crafts a better future.
I Will Be Home Soon shows three women hopeful that the journey ahead leads to a joyful return as they head home.
