How fusing an artist’s personality into art makes it powerful Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | Canon Rumanzi’s art is difficult to describe and the same can be said of his rather mysterious personality. He is a photographer and digital artist, and in both genres, he pushes the boundaries and turns art …
Read More »ARTS: Sanaa and Sane
Showcasing beads and satire at AKAA Paris art fair Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | Sanaa Gateja’s art easily captivates with its merging of African traditional art elements with the contemporary. The multi-disciplinary artist creates large tapestries of multi-coloured paper beads- produced from waste paper like magazine and newspapers- stitched on …
Read More »ARTS: Capturing rainbows
How Ugandan artist scooped international Cannon camera advert deal Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | In a one minute video, artist Jjuuko Hoods is portrayed as a child prodigy with a fascination for colours. With crayons in hand, he leans next to an adult who probably is his instructor with a …
Read More »Pricing the priceless: the $450mn Da Vinci record
New York, United States | AFP | A triumph of marketing over aesthetics? Or the legitimate cost of owning a Da Vinci? The sale of a Renaissance portrait of Jesus Christ for nearly half a billion dollars has stunned the art world. Its quality and condition are debated and isolated …
Read More »PROFILE: Wasswa Lule and the art of simple living
Kampala, Uganda | AGNES. E. NANTABA | He is the son of former president of Uganda, who was a minister in the colonial government, vice chancellor of Makerere University and assistant secretary general in the Commonwealth Secretariat. He is also very exposed and travelled, is a former Deputy Inspector General of Government …
Read More »UAE and Qatar stake billions in ‘soft power’ showdown
Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | The opening this week of the glittering Louvre Abu Dhabi museum marks the latest stage in a multi-billion-dollar “soft power” showdown between energy giants Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Culture, media and sports have turned into battlegrounds for branding and global recognition. “There …
Read More »Modern African art gets pride of place in bold new Cape Town gallery
Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | Towering over Cape Town’s Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a clutch of abandoned grain silos has been transformed into Africa’s largest museum dedicated to the continent’s contemporary art. With its honeycomb lattice windows reflecting the Atlantic Ocean and the city’s landmark Table Mountain, the audacious …
Read More »Chelsea owner Abramovich splits from wife
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich and his wife, gallerist Darya or “Dasha” Zhukova, have separated, a spokesman for Abramovich confirmed to AFP. “After 10 years together, the two of us have made the difficult decision to separate, but we remain close …
Read More »Three women in art: Works show pain and ecstasy
Three women in art: Their works show pain and ecstasy Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | Since the traditional era, women have played a central role in art in Africa; mainly infusing artistic attributes to utilitarian objects they create. The basket weaving and beading practiced by ethnic Hima and Tutsi affirm this …
Read More »Paris show for African art by collector who’s never been there
Paris, France | AFP | A new exhibition in Paris is showcasing one of the world’s biggest collections of contemporary African art — which was amassed without the collector himself ever once setting foot on the continent. “The Insiders” at the Louis Vuitton Foundation features works by 15 artists selected …
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