Ronex

“I am inspired by the phrase ‘Gifted by Nature’ a theme the Ugandan government used in order to advertise the country to the world. I believe that Uganda is truly and naturally gifted but how we, as Ugandans, have exploited that blessing to our advantage is another issue. In the twenty first century we experience daily scenarios in Kampala that are not fit for the modern world and sadly such scenes are embedded in our way of life. My work is a way of expressing my frustrations and also a way of creating awareness of these issues that to most, sadly, remain in the subconscious.”

Ronex will exhibit in his specially designed and constructed container at 8th Street, near Mukwano roundabout.

Ronex Ahimbisibwe is a visual artist working in sculpture, painting, printmaking and design. He graduated from the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts at Makerere University in 2001. Since then his work has been exhibited in many solo and group shows. In Kampala, he has exhibited at Umoja Gallery, Afriart Gallery, AKA Gallery, MishMash Gallery and Makerere Art Gallery. Internationally his work has been shown across Africa in Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt as well as several countries in Europe and the US. In 2003, Ronex participated in the East African Art

Biennale in Dar-es-Salaam. He is also a founding member of the artist group Index Mashariki. Initiated in Uganda the group set out to return art to the local communities in East Africa by means of ‘Indigenous Expressionism.’ In 2011 Ronex founded FasFas, an art venue in Kampala which aims to offer a platform for artists to meet, discuss and exhibit their work.

Truly Gifted

‘Truly Gifted’ subjects the city of Kampala to a critical examination. “I am inspired by the phrase ‘Gifted by Nature’ a theme the Ugandan government used in order to advertise the country to the world. I believe that Uganda is truly and naturally gifted but how we, as Ugandans, have exploited that blessing to our advantage is another issue.”

Based on the artist’s fifteen years experience as a resident of Kampala, Ronex focuses on what he perceives to be the city’s two main issues: pot holes and posters.

Ronex believes that these two issues define and represent the state of the city. He suggests that the relentless pot holes cause accidents and traffic jams and that the sea of posters communicating arbitrary messages are an eyesore. Truly Gifted sets out to visually interpret these observations of the city’s characteristics through digital art, painting and sculpture. His approach is both critical and humorous, descriptive and aesthetic and aims, if not to create a social change, to at the very least create awareness.

Ronex explains, “In the twenty first century we experience daily scenarios in Kampala that are not fit for a modern city and sadly such scenes are embedded in our way of life. My work is a way of expressing my frustrations and also a way of creating awareness of these issues that sadly, to most people, remain in the subconscious.”

Limited by the idea of working on a ready- made container, Ronex constructed a large scale installation, welded from scrap metal, which mirrors the shape of a 20ft shipping container. In this way the artist abolishes the division of inside and outside and creates an interrelated art piece that is accessible from all sides.