Uganda: Capturing the Heartbeat of Kampala On Canvas
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New Vision (Kampala)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 16 May 2008
Stephen Ssenkaaba
Kampala
LIFE is so stressful that in our attempt to live, we forget about what goes on around us. But when we see a picture of chaotic markets and dirty streets on TV and in newspapers, we realise how far withdrawn from our environment we are. Yet photos have limitations, which, depending on the photographer's intent, might distort the true character of scenes.
One artist has brought nearly the entire Kampala and laid it before us, and for once, the city looks so familiar in a very unusual way. Ismael Kateregga, a Kampala-based painter, has used a paint brush, oils, tempera and mixed media to show us what we see everyday but sometimes ignore.
Portraits of the Capital is the theme of this young artist's exhibition which opened last week at Tulifanya gallery, Hanington Road in Kampala. The show, which runs until the end of this month, depicts Kampala's most illustrious scenes.
Markets, slums, streets, taxi parks and shopping centres are at the heart of Kateregga's exploration. It is an exploration filled with colour, passion and imagination. Kateregga's work is a realistic portrayal of the city, not so much in his style (he is more of semi-realist) as in his knack to portray vivid scenes.
His painting of Sixth Street Industrial Area, for example, is so real that it strikes a familiar code with the real place.
With varying tones and hues, he renders the street with long heavy trucks, cars and brown and dirty long buildings. His sense of perspective, careful use of space and images is captivating.
He has done the same with Owino Market, Kikuubo, Ndeeba, Kisenyi and Kalerwe slum. Kateregga uses natural colours in different shades.
His application of visible brush strokes, line, open composition and emphasis on light in its changing qualities lend an appealing touch to a very ordinary subject matter.
His work borrows from impressionism, a 19th Century movement that originated in France following
"Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant), a painting by a Claude Monet, a Paris-based painter. But while impressionism tends to emphasise vivid overall effects rather than details, Kateregga's work pays little attention to detail.
Relevant Links
Kateregga's work is on show together with fine ceramics including plates, necklaces, bowels and pots by students from a Mukono based girls' vocation training institute.
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Copyright © 2008 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
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