Pan African sentiments in art

Mzili, Ndema, Karungi showcase ideology

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In recent times, there has been an urge by artists working on the African continent and the diaspora to evoke a Pan African spirit into their art. In Uganda, two events have evidently explored this concept: `Another RoadMap for Africa conference’ held in July 2015 at Nagenda International Academy of Arts and Design (NIAAD) and the first edition of Kampala Art Biennale 2014, under the concept of `Progressive Africa: Africa Is Now’.

Both events stimulated conversation on the subject of decolonising art education on the continent and exploring themes that affect Africa as a continent, respectively. The NIAAD conference was more articulate in diagnosing the problems of Africa by employing the use of the local language- Luganda- as the primary mode of communication at the forum and emphasising an overall shift in the academic curriculum used in art teaching.

Nonetheless, through informal procedures artists had already integrated the concept of Pan Africanism in their art. Henry Mzili Mujunga’s art that is majorly inspired by the theme of indigenous expressionism – a label that partly is hinged to the Pan African movement- delves into the themes of African identity and neo-colonialism. It adopts indigenous materials like barkcloth and the African mask motif to evoke conversation on the diversity of African culture.

Incidentally, the west does not believe that such a thing as diverse African culture exists. Such narrative is evident in the seasoned exhibit `DaudiMzili: Dichotomy of Creativity’ where the dual of Daudi Karungi and Mzili exhibited paintings that particularly conveyed the message of non-conformist art. The artist drew inspiration from their own cultural backgrounds, and the art defied western-modernist style of painting. For example, Mzili adopted African traditional styles of art making by concentrating on technique rather than the subject matter. In the same manner, Karungi focused on the naïve style of painting, thereby emerging as “anti- mainstreamist” a phrase used by one art critic to describe the artist’s work.

What about Ndema’s modernist painting of ` The Last Supper 2015’ showcasing African post-independence presidents seated at table with the legendary Fela Kuti breaking bread? The drawing is an inspiration to the concept of the last supper as illustrated in the Bible. However, the idea of congregating post-independence African leaders under one umbrella is a rejoinder to Kwame Nkrumah rhetoric, Africa must unite. In the drawing, the artist’s technique of employing Fela Kuti as a central figure-underlined by a halo placed around his head- evokes the positive contribution made by the music icon in liberating the continent from white domination.

Kuti through his genre of Afro-beat mobilised Africans to unite and denounced white man domination of the continent. In fact, he was referred to by some of his contemporaries as a messiah; hence, the saintly attribute in form of halo that sits on his head. The artist’s featured works in the exhibit `Obvious Things 2015’ suggest a continuation of the liberation of Africa narrative.

Ndema’s drawings of a young man dressed in sagging jeans and shirtless, plus a boy carrying an AK 47 with gloomy eyes, suggest the idea of neo-colonialism advanced through western culture and imperialism. In exhibit, the artist still showcases the portrait of Fela Kuti; a symbol of his fascination of the musician’s political ideology.

The interrogation of the subject of Pan-Africanism by artists is a symbol of their deep conscious to the eminent problems facing the continent. In the Ugandan context, it is important to perceive the artists’ work as a deliberate attempt to create debate on critical issues of African integration and liberation, cultural imperialism and African identity. Such artistic exploration makes art more relevant to the public than otherwise other forms of visual art like touristic art would do.

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Images are courtesy of Ndema