Symbolism on canvas

A group exhibition by undergraduate students of Kyambogo navigates everyday themes with the allegorical technique

ART | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | It has become an annual tradition for Tadooba gallery to showcase the works of undergraduate students of Fine art from Kyambogo University as a motivation for their breakthrough in the now competitive local art industry. A group exhibition held recently at the art space by the students resounds this tradition where learners are often tasked to work with specific researched themes and engage with a diversity of styles, medium and techniques in their studio productions. With this particular showcase, there was a slight shift in the mode of working where student artists were given freedom to navigate themes of their choice but still responding to the larger theme, Spectrum of Expressions. Through the allegorical technique that runs through the artists’ paintings, the artists were successful in confronting topics like corruption, greed, cultural heritage and humanity that live within their immediate surrounding.

The Chameleon as a dominant subject in Parmu Christine’s paintings is a representation of the routine camouflaging nature of the Ugandan political bourgeoisie who often use their positions to steal and oppress the citizens. In one painting, Greed, the artist allegorically depicts a chameleon grasping a full bowl of insects but still seeking to feed onto other insects that lie in its midst. “In this painting, you can see that the Chameleon already has enough to eat but is still yearning for more out there. This behaviour is typical of our leaders who already have enough but still want to acquire more,” she says. In another painting, Lady Justice, inspired by Lady Justice, a symbol of unbiased justice, the artist portrays the Chameleon with an image of a judge dressed in judicial robes. The artist dramatically illustrates the lack of fairness in the services of the magistrate by manipulating this particular symbol of equal justice in the painting. Instead of presenting a female figure blindfolded- as should be expected- she paints a half blindfolded female figure to suggest a flawed judicial system.

Again, by working with the Judicial imagery, the artist draws the judicial scale; a popular symbol for the institution representing the notion of waiting to weigh evidence on both sides; in the foreground of the painting to critique the conduct of the institution today. Unlike the usual presentation of this symbol as even, the artist depicts it as uneven with money on one side of the scale out weighing the other objects placed on the other side of the scale. This depiction references the common trend today by judges to award justice to those who’re rich and privileged. Nonetheless, the artist’s technique to deploy a calm palette of pink in some of these paintings suggest that there’s hope from this injustice. By doing this, the artist avoids the pitfall of being subjective with her work therefore offering an objective critique of the situation. “I am hopeful that the situation can change we all work together to speak about these forms of injustices in the institution,” she says.

With inspiration from his Buganda heritage, Kinene Nicholas, works with symbolism to explore the different aspects of this biggest cultural grouping in Uganda. He invokes the different clans with their totems to represent the rich cultural and social wellbeing of the Baganda. For example, in the painting, Ab’amaggunju, the artist chooses the subject of mushrooms (Obutiko) to symbolize one of the dances performed at the royal court of the Kabaka. The dance is specifically performed by the Ab’obutiko clan, one of the fifty-four clans of the Baganda, which again illustrates the norm of clans paying allegiance to the supreme ruler, the King of Buganda. This technique is further replicated in the painting Baganda ba Mbaziira that depicts their totem nyonyi nyange (Egret). The notion of the artist allegorically working with totems to convey a specific message to the audience is brilliant because it draws the audience’s attention toward the art. Equally it suggests that the artist is deeply knowledgeable about the subject he’s tackling in his work therefore giving the art an attribute of originality.

The aspect of research-oriented topics that permeate through the art on showcase in this group exhibition suggest the extended amount of time and energy the student injected into the production of the art on display. This approach though arduous in nature, gives their work an edge of uniqueness and excitement that the audience cannot tire from appreciating it. Again, it is through such technique that the learners can find confidence to showcase their art outside the confines of this incubator art space.

****

Other exhibiting artists include Wafula Paul, Ojok Gerald, Acom Christine and Mayanja Weazher.

The Exhibition is open and runs for one month at Tadooba gallery located in Nagwa, Mukono