High costs of materials drive artists to be more innovative
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Loading... - Elphas Mukhwana
- 07 Feb 2022
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Rwanda’s Innocent Buregeya’s works are challenging the local mainstream art scene after the Covid-19 pandemic forced artists in the region to become more creative and innovative.
His mix-media collection, occupying one section of Iteme Art Space’s wall in Kigali, attests to how recycled material can creatively craft beauty.
But, this isn’t Buregeya’s first attempt at this form. Unlike most contemporaries who work with acrylics on canvas, he announced his entrance into the visual art scene in 2012 experimenting with recycled materials like wire mesh, old toothbrushes, rubber products and other waste materials, which he assembled on wood and canvas, to emerge with unique mix-media artworks.
Conservation theme
That most tools for producing art are imported and therefore expensive, recycling of waste materials is considered an ideal way for innovative craft.
Created as part of the previously held joint exhibition titled Let us Bee Together, that featured other established Rwandan artists, the collection’s style is an attraction.
Buregeya’s artworks reflect the general theme of conservation through the recycled material.
Onto little canvases, with acrylic, he paints semi-abstract images of African women. These are further embossed to livelier images by the use of old wire mesh, wires, toothbrushes, tins, bottle tops, paper, and glue to modelled works.
African woman’s solidity
The artist further breathes life into these models by applying paints, and emerges with representational images of African women.
His framing of the artwork gives them a definitive finishing. Read More…
