Nagawa's Artwork Screams

New Vision (Kampala)

May 16, 2003
Posted to the web May 16, 2003

Titus Kakembo
Kampala

THE decorous spread wings of an eagle in flight, swamped by many small eaglets clapping their wings in all directions, grabs the eye.

The black background upon which the vibrant gold splash is intermarried with grey and yellow screams it out loud and clear: "black is beautiful."

"I got the idea from the Bahai faith. It addresses the gender inequality in society. The bird needs both wings to keep in flight. You break one and it is crippled.

Likewise, humanity needs both sexes. Without one, the circuit is incomplete," says Margaret Nagawa, commenting about her on-going exhibition at Alliance Francaise at the National Theatre.

The exhibition which started on May 13, ends on June 31.

Nagawa tackles the subject of the family in her work. She draws inspiration from her real life experiences.

Holding her three-month-old baby, she says being a mother is an exceptional experience. She loves the crying, innocent childhood smiles and the responsibility of being a mother.

"The acrylics on canvas cannot bring it all out. The kick of a life inside the womb, then the shriek punctuating the labour pains. There is that bitter-sweet feeling that words or a brush cannot truly express," she says smiling.

She also uses symbolism to put forth her message. The different shades of banana clusters in leaves speaks volumes. She picked on bananas because this is a staple food and a cash crop in Uganda and is widely grown in Masaka where she works.

Another piece depicts our destruction of the environment and natural physical features like Bujagali Falls and Namanve Forest, in the name of development. Nagawa complains that much as high rise structures are beautiful, we are robbing nature of its wealth.

There are many abstract compositions, which mean different things to everybody.

She dreads people who spend a fortune dying their hair to look younger.

Art collectors and enthusiasts this is an opportunity to dig deep in your wallets to buy the piece of your choice to grace your wall.

The art works go from sh100,000 to sh600,000.

Nagawa is one of the female artists that has taken Kampala by storm.

She is known to use oils, charcoal and concrete in her paintings. An art collector said her works are a relief from the common styles and themes used by local artists.