Galerie Nathalie Obadia will be hosting “We Come in Peace”, Collin Sekajugo’s first solo exhibition in France. The exhibition will be on view from 20th of January until the 4th of March 2023.
Born in 1980 in Uganda, Collin Sekajugo is a self-taught artist. He is interested in the human condition in the age of globalization.
Image courtesy of Collin Sekajugo
The exhibition examines the different biases that is spread across the world. This new body of work, made using a diverse range of materials – most of which are Ugandan in origin: polypropylene bags, bark cloth, wax cloth and denim – and processes, which showcases Sekajugo’s most recent series of portraits of ambiguous people from Asia, the Indian Ocean, and the Commonwealth, all of whom are recognized figures of power and influence. In this exhibition, Collin Sekajugo focuses on the complex and conflictual question of cultural identity. By manipulating archival images, the artist explores the particular characteristics of each subject, questioning her or his place in our contemporary society. At first glance the importance of these influential personalities seems assured and unassailable; alone or in pairs and elegantly outfitted, the figures stand out from backgrounds decorated with African motifs. Although the African heritage of the sixteen portraits from the Blacks of East series is suggested by their physical features, these figures are in fact from the socio-economic world of Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Through these portraits, Sekajugo achieves an anthropological inversion of the dominant culture. He highlights the ambiguity of cultural identity and pays homage to the heritage of East Africa by adorning his background with African motifs.
Collin Sekajugo lends particular importance to the social fabric and identity of his native country, an interest that he extends across the entire globe. Beyond the symbols and messages conveyed by the subjects he presents, the artist’s works are like meeting spaces: on one hand, the spectator is confronted with a new subject, and on the other, his or her eye is attracted by a diversity of techniques and materials within a single painting.
Image courtesy of Artsy
These new compositions are imbued with personal narratives and strong universal messages, forging links with the Ugandan population and all other spectators as they identify the subjects portrayed. This ability to connect with his audience stems from Collin Sekajugo’s deep social commitment, in particular to the communities of his native country. From the early days of his career, he has used his artistic practice as a lever for social rehabilitation through the creation of a collaborative space dedicated to the visual arts in Kigali, Rwanda, that he has named Ivuka (rebirth in the local language). Building on his success, Collin Sekajugo exported this model to Masaka in Uganda in 2010, where it has become the nerve centre of the city’s artistic and cultural life.
In dealing with the globalisation of cultural dominance and the influence of capitalism in our daily lives, the exhibition allows us to shed new light on the notion of living in a community in the 21st century, no matter where we are from and whatever our parentage.
