The Ugandan Women Weaving Eco-conscious Art

'Iwang Sawa' (Alur for: “In The Eye of Time”) showcases contemporary artworks and installations made out of natural fibres like banana fibre, palm leaves, sisal, raffia, stripped sorghum stems and reeds. These materials are traditionally used by Ugandan artisans to create everyday functional objects like mats and baskets.

This collaboration between Acaye Elizabeth Pamela Kerunen as the curator/artist and artisans involved the commissioning of the latter to make woven materials. The materials like Mikeka rolls (mats), Biibo (baskets), woven rings and Bikapu (shopping bags) were then repurposed into non-functional installations. The installations assume conceptual meanings. They also draw on aesthetics of form, shape and texture. 'Iwang Sawa’'s narrative is thus, a multi-layered one that, involves aspects of making, heritage, time, meaning, purpose and innovation.

The element of time is crucial because Ugandan woven crafts are made from natural fibres. These fibres are dependent on the duration of seasons for them to grow into harvest. Their preparation from harvest to drying, dyeing, positioning, plotting and design is also time-dependent. You cannot rush the process. And, finally the time it takes to weave, twine and knot these materials into craft products. Pertinently too is when one considers the fact that, the many patterns used, especially, in mats have been passed down from generation to generation. Or, that the skills in weaving and basketry have been here since before time remembers us; then, one realises that 'Iwang Sawa' is, after all, a call towards heritage preservation and a celebration of the same.

The artworks in this exhibition are made by at least 30 women from Gulu, Kigorobya, Kyotera, Luwero, Mukono, Kabarole and Kampala in Uganda. Besides a physical exhibition, 'Iwang Sawa' also features a podcast and documentary series which follows the journey of these re-made, woven artworks from the wetlands, where the materials are sourced, to the gallery. Acaye Elizabeth Pamela Kerunen was awarded a curatorial fellowship from Newcastle University to research and execute 'Iwang Sawa'.

Afriart Gallery was all the more delighted to support this exhibition as a way to open doors for various communities and to bridge a gap between the traditional and contemporary worlds within the visual artistic expression.
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Видео The Ugandan Women Weaving Eco-conscious Art канала Framez and Wavez