Text & Pictures
By Emmanuel Mwendwa

For Ugandan-born artist Veroniccah Muwonge, visual art is most effective as a medium and tool of communication. The artist for instance, captures or interprets experiences and even special moments in her day-to-day social life, through art. ““Every piece of art that I create is a bearer of varied messages, which I wish to convey to the society I live within. I even tell stories in most of my paintings. I document life from an artistic viewpoint, whether in context of the past, present or future”, she explains.

Her dreams, fantasies, issues that affect, or have had an impact in her life or people she encounters, whether strangers or friends, likewise tends to fire up her muse. She enthuses: “Every time I come across a situation or experience that is somewhat intriguing, I want to capture it on canvas”. The artist, who for over a year worked at the Nairobi-based GoDown Arts Centre until she left for Kampala recently – cites one of her paintings, aptly titled Out of time - which was inspired by an expectant girl-friend who wished to travel to the Kenyan coast before her due date for delivery.

“But she never made the trip in time – and had to cancel the trip”, says Veroniccah. Most of her paintings are accentuated by a deft, yet transcendent use of colours. “While l do not limit how I use my hues – I also love to experiment with variations. Mixing many shades is challenging, I attempt to merge them comfortably on canvas”. Her paintings have festooned exhibitions in Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Germany and France. Yet at teenage, Veroniccah was torn between being an altar girl or pursuit of her love for drawing.

But a chance to join Trinity College Nabbingo, in Uganda tilted scales to her pursuit for the arts. And years later – paints, brushes and colours now lie at the core of her existence. “My search for cultural knowledge is what drew me closer to God. I admired other altar girls, and it was an honour when during one Easter Sunday, I was picked out to wash faithfuls' feet. But gradually I could not resist drifting towards the visual arts", she recalls.

Protracted nostalgia would in later years become inspirational as she once subconsciously perhaps, immortalized the memories of her stint at the 'altar', in a mesmeric piece titled the Altar Girl. The piece has incidentally featured on display as part of her collection at varied exhibitions showcased in Nairobi last year. Numerous other works of art can be viewed on her website. In an interview prior to her departure to Kampala, she traced ‘discovery’ of her unfettered passion for art when she joined Makerere University’s Margaret Trowell School of Industrial & Fine Arts where she graduated with top honours.

“I was drawn to Pablo Picasso’s cubist paintings. These immensely inspired my choice of technique. He may have been my mentor, but I managed to formulate my own individuality and style”. She also enjoys pencil work, randomly picking out strokes and sharp lines to create outlines of her subjects.

“I'm rarely interested in details, but often prefer, for instance, to capture the pose of a model or subject. I eliminate forms and reflect in a simple way, fascinating themes or ideas”. Her pieces distinctly also reflect striking brush strokes, sharply reminiscent of the cubism technique. “In spite of supposed similarities, it is unfair to pigeonhole my work in the cubist mold,” she says.

Veroniccah also likes working on portraits, stills – drawn from live poses, besides exploring varied realism-inclined themes. She cites one piece The Entertainer – which was inspired by “..a desire to break away from my typical paintings. I wanted to refresh my streak for experimentation”, she notes.

The artist’s other notable paintings include African Bride, Confidence, After the Swim, Vision, Girlfriends, The Offer, Tenderness, Twisters and What About Tomorrow. In the piece What a Day, a friend offered to pose for her. “I outlined her body shape and figure, bringing out varied moods discernable from nature of subject’s pose. I add meaning to what I see, interpreting images from my perspective. This is the essence of art,” she asserts.

Of paramount importance, however, is communicating through her work. She intends to use visual arts as a tool to inculcate moral responsibility among African youth. “But the venture requires sponsorship to organize workshops”, she notes, wherein young people can interact in an environment wherein positive ideals luxuriate.

emmanuel@showbizeastafrica.com