
“Henry Mzili is an art creative who has used his works to educate and mentor the new generation because he is always looking for something more towards shaping the future and continuity of art through experimentation, explorations and teaching of art. He has a curious mind,” says Daudi Karungi, an artist and founder of Afriart Gallery where Mzili’s works are on exhibition as he celebrates 25 years of artistic practice.
Henry Mujunga Mzili’s exhibition features never-before-seen new pieces alongside a retrospective look at his earlier explorations in printmaking, mixed media painting, and others; Salvator Mundi, 2023- Oil on Canvas Dichotomy 4, 2012- Acrylic and Backcloth on Canvas, Eve and Eve, 2002- Woodcut Print.
Mzili is a renowned painter, printmaker and an indigenous expressionist: making reference to his intuition, childhood memories, and learned practice to create artworks.
Curator and writer, Lara Buchmann writes, “Mzili’s artistic journey is characterised by a relentless curiosity to experiment with diverse materials, reflecting the rich tapestry of influences drawn from his travels across Africa and Europe.
His connections forged along these journeys, coupled with pan-Africanist ideals, inform his identity as a self-proclaimed Indigenous Expressionist, who remains deeply rooted in his Ugandan heritage.”
The on-going exhibition not only showcases Mzili’s inquisitive work throughout the years but also highlights the importance of contextualising art within local narratives.
Buchmann observes that Mzili’s work resonates with and challenges local histories, traditions, and contemporary issues, making them relevant not only as aesthetic objects but also as vital commentary on the world around us.
Mzili kickstarted his professional journey with an exhibition at Tulifanya Art Gallery in 1999. “I really don’t remember my first art piece but I recall the excitement of selling my first art work at Tulifanya Gallery in 1999,” he recounts. He has since also showcased his artworks in many countries.
Some of art work has been recognised in Kenya, Tanzania then South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, Benin, Mali, Ghana, Togo, Germany, Burkina Faso, Netherlands and France.
Mzili is eager to welcome art lovers to interact with his timeline, go through the work and observe his progression as a creative person.
Some of his career highlights include being one of the founding members of the East African Art Group Index Mashariki, a Pan African circle of artists that organise study tours, improved cross-border travel, self-publishing and writing about art.
He roots for regional integration of art and has extended his reach with conferences and workshops in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Senegal, where they have fostered art collaborations by working on different mediums and in different styles.
At a workshop held in Nairobi in 2001, artists explored print-making as a medium. There he learnt and printed fellow artist Peterson Kamwathi. He became the President of Uganda Print Makers Association.
With Karungi, Mzili conceived the idea of LaBa Street Art Festival, which sought to take art to communities for the public to consume and enjoy. Later on, the festival morphed into more, accommodating more artforms including music which brought Mackinnon Road in Nakasero feisty with thudding rhythms.
And the art on showcase was not just paintings, but diversified ideas. One of the outstanding ones was art in potholed roads. He is also a member of the Pan African Circle of Artists (PACA) and a co-founder of Kampala Arts Trust and Online Visual arts Journal Start Journal of Arts and Culture, an online art publication focused on highlighting contemporary visual art and art stories happening on the African continent today.
The artist has been recognised for his uniqueness. Mzili is 2003 winner of the Royal Overseas League (ROSL), not-for-profit institution, which promotes young musicians and artists, through a widespread arts programme including ROSL's Annual Music Competition which is over 70 years old.
The artist has influenced careers of fellow artists and has gained symbiotic relations from them in terms of exchange of ideas. These include Karungi, Xenson Ssenkaaba, Ronex Ahimbisibwe, Sungi Mlengeya, John Baptist Ssekubulwa, Matt Kayem among others.
Ahimbisibwe considers Mzili a mentor whose works he has leveraged for years, from use of the Dark to Light- a technique that uses tonal contrasts to create the illusion of volume and mass in a painting, then wood carving locally christened ‘Kabawo’.
“He is the only person I still call to critique my work. He is familiar with the foundation of my work and most of the techniques I use. He treasures group shows, where artists would tap into each other’s energies,” Ahimbisibwe observes.
Mzili is keen on creating more interest in local art collectors by intentionally sensitising people about ideas, concepts and philosophy using platforms such as the Contemporary Art Society of Uganda.
The seasoned artist discloses that if he had to do it all over again, he would still be glad to art. Art is a priesthood, a calling,” he adds.
He thinks that it would be a good idea to have a national register for artists and also calls for government recognition and support. “I intend to continue making art until my last breath. I hope to create a contemporary museum of art for Ugandan artists including myself,” he somewhat concludes.