JANUARY - MARCH celestair:< AIR UGANDA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE Rhapsody [amCin=t-19 Mabira’s Rainforest Lodge Wellton Ta uel le) Kampala’s CHOGM hotels Entebbe Bla oMule Maclin 10) Monica Arac de Nyeko Nine dana oi-w Rea CU) rosie fom Blea gL = The magic of Ngorongoro craterBy Hannah Harlow ison Mugalu_onos made a living seling second hand lady's trousers at _Kampala's Qwino market. But like all gifted entrepreneurs, Mugalu smeled a niche and capitalized on it. Today he is one ‘of Kampaia's most successful young painters. His work hangs in iving rooms and offices from Australia to the United States (On a December afternoon, | vist Mugalu during his least favorite time to work, when tho sun is high and the hheat overwhelming. He works best in the evenings, when “the sun is cool and ccaim and ready for everyone to enjoy it. ‘The hot yellows and oranges | put in my paintings.” Aspects ofthe natural worid are evident in most all of Mugalu's work. Growing up in Kayunga town in central Uganda, a two-hour drive from Kampala, he says, “1 was free to share with nature. | could {90 to the farm; | could go look at plants, fiowers, birds. | leaned many things from the bush.” What Mugalu sees in the natural world translates in different ways. in fis paintings: Watching guinea fowls might inspire him to introduce a polka dot theme. The light crystaline ocean off Zanzibar differs from the Ssese Islands’ darker waters. *Poople can always toll ‘where they are in my paintings,” he says. His evocation of place can come out in a ‘colour scheme or a human relationship, ‘an unexpected juxtaposition of elements oranintonsity of brushstrokes. Eschew- ing a formal university education, Mugalu developed his own set of theories to live by. "At Is practice” he says solermy ‘Never repeat yourself, but be conss- tent. Be orignal" We mot at Mona Arts, Mugalus stud in Bukoto, where he spends his days Creating his own paintings or giving ls- sons {0 students from nearby Kabira Intemational School, He cently moved from shared space in a rough neighbor ‘hood in Kamwokya. His new space is a smal, quiet house setback rom the road with ample space outdoors for working ‘long table along the font of tho house allows a number of kids to work along- side each other, or for Muga to spread jut when working alone. In back is an enclosed patio that catches the mom- ing light. Inside the house his vibrant paintings ine the white walls and lean in Stacks on the foor. No sound from the stroot penetrates and the atmosphere is serene, Much ike Mga himseft ‘Soft-spoken and calm, Mugalu man- ‘2995 to be utr confident and modest at the same time. He's young and talented‘and knows this in much the same way he says he knew from a young age that he was an artis. He comes off as ne ther haughty nor self-aggrandizing. Yet he is known and envied among Kam- pala's artist community for his knack for promoting himself. "He's the kind of guy ‘who just takes out his business card and says, ‘I'm Edison Mugalu.”” Says one of his contemporaries, another well-known Kampala atist. Indeed, Mugalu markets himself widely—his artis sold all over the world, from East Arica to Europe and the Unitéd States. He manages to be self-deprecating and sef-promoting at the same time. He tolls me a story of having been tuned down twice already for travel visas to Europe and the United States; he was currently going back a third time to apply for permission to visit the United Kingdom, where he had lined Lup sponsorship for three months to visit ‘museums and galleries. Undaunted by the unfriendly bureaucrats and madden- ing red tape, he says, “I am beginning to enjoy it. This is a whole new group (of people who are learning my name. It 's a diferent way of becoming famous! They wil keep turning me down and | will go back ten, twelve times, and more and more of these people will see my name on the forms and look at my port- folio and learn who | am." I could tell he was being slightly serious. For Mugalu, life is an opportunity—everything has a bright side, Since 2003, he has sold paintings through Aidchiid, an extremely suc- cessful organization that supports orphans living with HIV/AIDS. Forty percent of his sales through Aidchild 0 to needy children. Director Nathanial Dunigan, an American, calls Mugaiu “a tertic talent." Dunigan and Mugalu say their shared vision is to bring hope to the children of Uganda. Adds Dunigan, "He's a nice guy, too—always just a phone call away; ready to be a part of a Tew project, orto just be a friend." | first met Mugalu in August 2007 at a display highlighting an event held a few months earlier sponsored by the Ugan- dan German Cultural Society and the Uganda Artists’ Association in which artists spent a day painting potholes ‘on Bukoto Road in Kampala. The intent was to raise money for a modem art museum here and raise publc appre- Cation of art in Uganda in general. This has become the recent cause celebre Cf a group of Uganda's up and coming well known artists, who in addition to bettering the sensibilities and souls of their countrymen would also not mind iar cL rent PERT Cane Real an outside countri of course, pi improving ther own bottom lines by being able to sell theic work to their own people, for a change. “Art has a lot to tel people, and to young people,” says Mugalu, Despite a growing gallery scene, Uganda stil lacks a national art muse um. There is a need to preserve work {and to build an appreciation among the country’s citzens, he says. At the ‘moment, he ships more art out of Ugan dd than he sells in it. Mugaly laments a lack of support from Uganda's financial institutions, which stil don't recognize the value of a painting on a formal level. Changing this might enable Uganda's struggiing artists to take out loans to help support their work. He wants to let poor people know that buying art is an option for them, too. Instead of hanging calendars on the wal, he wants people to hang a painting. When someone gets tied of a painting, he can just sel it, he suggests. He is trying to drive home the point that art can be an investment as well as an ‘aesthetic object. There is a percop- tion that “artis for the whites and for ‘outside countries,” says Mugalu. “And ‘some paintings are too abstract.” And, of course, people simply don't have ‘enough money. But art has an important role to play In the Ives of even ordinary people who can’t afford to buy it, insists Mugalu. He spent the second half of 2007 paint Lela RUA cioo) Micertiaci)e ing murals in slums around Kampala, including Kamwokya and Mulago, help- ing to beautify these neighborhoods ‘and educate their inhabitants on art He had at frst tried to get permission to paint somewhere in the city canter, but he was refused access. AS usual he has looked atthe siver ining though. He says he's found these poorer neigh- bborhoods more accessible. “The people there are friendly, easy to talk to. They wanted to give me space to do what | wanted,” he says. He also wanted a place with allot of foot traffic and a lot of residents. The way Mugalu sees it, the slums have a bigger audience to hear his message. 2008 will be devoted to a project he calls Nurturing Talents, in which he will invite acts to bring their children to his studio for art education. On hand will be musical instruments. and art sup- ples and children will be free to pursue whatever medium interests them most. Once the child has decided, he can “evolve in a line rather than in a circle,” explains Mugalu. It seems to come naturally to him to encourage Uganda's ‘young artists, just as he has introduced the art world to Uganda. "I do not need 10 go to India to be inspired,” he says. “Everything I need is right here.” Econ pate ar 1256 712 473 268 ‘mveecsconvaed.m.com CELESTAIR » AIR UGANDA - 18T quant BO