By THE INDEPENDENT UG
ART | AGENCIES | Afriart Gallery is delighted to showcase a solo exhibition by Ugandan modernist painter Samuel Kakaire at Art Dubai 2024.
This presentation is part of the fair’s curated section, ‘Art Dubai Modern,’ curated by Dr. Christianna Bonin, an assistant professor of art history at the American University of Sharjah. Dr. Bonin is an expert in Cold War-era cultures and global modernisms. The curated section will delve into the works and careers of artists and filmmakers from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia who participated in cultural exchange programs with the Soviet Union, exploring how these experiences shaped their artistic expressions.
Founded in 2002 and situated in Kampala, Afriart Gallery (AAG) has established itself as a leading international contemporary art gallery, representing artists living and working on the African continent. The gallery is dedicated to fostering original forms of expression and engaging in dialogue with the public. Afriart Gallery provides a platform where collectors can discover impactful contemporary artistic ideas and discussions.
Daudi Karungi, a trained artist who comprehends the challenges faced by young artists in Africa, founded Afriart Gallery. The gallery team is devoted to creating an equitable playing field and a supportive community for artists. They achieve this by continually implementing projects that support artists’ growth through mentorship, visibility, and archiving.
About the Artist
Samuel Kakaire, born in 1961 in Namalemba, Bugweri, Iganga District, Uganda, is a prominent Ugandan modernist painter. He completed his education in Uganda, graduating in 1989 with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the Higher College of Industrial Art in St Petersburg, Russia.
Ugandan cultures traditionally lacked a painting tradition, with music serving as the primary art form for communication of ideas, social values, and history. Despite European influences on Uganda’s education system, Eastern European art, particularly Russian, was unfamiliar. Samuel Kakaire’s specialization in tempera, oil, and watercolors, along with his proficiency in both miniature and large-scale mural painting, makes his work unique.
In 1994, during the exhibition of Kakaire’s work, the Russian ambassador to Uganda was deeply moved by the sight of icon painting—a tradition declining in Russia but thriving in distant Uganda. Kakaire initially worked with tempera on wood panels but later transitioned to oils on canvas. He adheres to a traditional limited palette based on yellow ochre, red, black, white, and blue. His artwork, true to the icon painting tradition, exhibits meticulous attention to detail, presenting both decorative and austere qualities while documenting Ugandan content.
While mastering Russian icon painting techniques, conservation, and restoration, Kakaire adopted the visual language of one of Europe’s oldest painting traditions. However, he diverges from its religious context, instead using the Russian visual language to express distinctly Ugandan subject matter. His paintings often explore major themes or central figures, portraying the unique blend of Russian visual traditions with Uganda’s cultural richness.
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