#kurema

Kigali's first large scale mural comes to life, with a cause

Getting the artwork up onto the 16 meter building had all the makings of a good comedy. At our first encounter with the wall we were introduced to the shoddy looking and swerving scaffolding that, besides the safety implication, took us as far as the skirt of our intore warrior.  After scouring much of the city, the team eventually came across the lesser-spotted cherry picker that would extend its long neck and bucket to the top of the wall. For added fun, the driver came with his foot  a in cast. 

Kurema, Kureba, Kwiga- to Create, to See, to Learn

We were invited by the wonderful people from the Kurema project to be a part of the first large-scale mural in Kigali, to be painted in honour of World Aids Day coming up on the 1st of December. Specifically, the project will aim to address the issues around the stigma of those living with or affected by HIV at a personal and community level. The first part of our mission is to work with the local artists of Ivuka to co-create a design that will help represent this message. The message needs to be clear and culturally relevant.  In the workshop, the artists taught us about traditional intore warriors and dancers of Rwanda and other symbols of strength and community. 

We’ve arrived in the land of a thousand hills and the Vuka Arts studio in Kigali will be our new home for the next week. Open studio spaces look over lush green hills, and there is constant life with the Rwandan dance troupe singing and drumming.The walls are draped with magnificent art and sculptures made from waste materials. The studio has played an important role in developing a platform for local art, and for many artists, an opportunity to create a positive life for themselves.