Metamorphosis
From dreams to reality, from ashes to Phoenix, from prison to freedom, from mother to daughter, from a character into a film script, from waste to creation, from one shape to another. The notebooks in this section tell the stories of transformation, rebirth cycles, change.
Cabinet of reborn materials, Irene Caretti
“My dream is to be able to research and develop new sustainable fabrics.”
My notebook is a sample of waste materials and it demonstrates that, if well juxtaposed, they can be turned into interesting new textiles. Every day we surround ourselves with more and more waste, to which none of us gives any value. The transparency of the pages allows the user the opportunity to observe these materials as if they were unique, and to perceive the infinite possibilities of interweaving them.
Caretti is an Italian-born designer, who studied Industrial Design at Isia Roma Design. She is passionate about textiles and digital fabrication, loves gardening, and is an enthusiastic baker.
Tribute to myself, Loni Mjeshtri
“I am confused about my dreams”
What do you see? How far can irony go? How ironic can we be? Why are we ironic?
Mevlan is a photographer and confused artist.
This is my Dream, Yangwang Cam Cam
“My dream is to become a great cartoonist.”
My work tells about a 17-year-old teenager who dreams of hacking the CIA. One day, his friend Manassé asks him to help with a report he’s writing on American secret societies. During his research, he discovers a breach in its security system and downloads documents from it. The CIA arrests him, but offers him a deal to work for them. He accepts on condition that he can do it from his bedroom. One day the CIA director asks him to locate a terrorist, Ben Khalil. He succeeds in finding him, something no one had managed to accomplish, and is awarded the IT prize of the year.
Yangwang is a Chadian-born student, attending Felix Eboué high school. He’s been drawing since his childhood.
Baleine production and Chams TV, Marie Madeleine Komna
“My dream is to become a producer, to have a production company with a television channel.”
I tried in this notebook to create a production company and a television channel.
Komna is a Chadian-born student currently studying Multimedia/Audiovisual
I will tear down this temple and rebuild it in three days, Ocom Adonias
“My dream is to save myself.”
The burnt coffin I created from the notebook is symbolic of the death of my past, and of my rebirth. It’s inspired by the Hindu concept of Samsara (rebirth). The coffin is a metaphor for the death I felt in the long pursuit of self. In the coffin is my old diary that is burnt up, and the ashes also illustrate the destruction of, and detachment from, my past. On the front of the coffin is the date I was born, which is a hundred years before my actual year of birth. The year of death shown is the actual date I was born on, because I feel like I died the day I was born into a world divided by a lot of ‘isms’. On the back of the coffin is the year I was reborn, the year I found meaning in life.
Ocom is a Ugandan-born artist, and attended BIFA - Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts - 2013. He works with recycled newspapers, charcoal and watercolor with an intention to tell stories about his experiences, places and people. His work is a journey of exploration in which other travelers are essential.
My dream studio, Gilbert Bogere
“My dream is to open my own production studio.”
My dream studio is circular in shape, and inspired by the traditional hut. My studio is going to be located underground, with artificial ventilation. The studio will produce all kinds of animation work, and also publish comic books.
Gilbert is a Ugandan-born freelance storyboard artist and illustrator, living and working in Uganda. He has a Bachelors degree in Industrial and Fine art from Makerere University, and has worked with leading publishing companies in Uganda like MK, Fountain Publishers, and the National Curriculum Development Centre. He is currently participating in the Kampala Art Bienniale under the master Radenko Milak.
Breaking a curse, Olivia Botha
“My dream is to break the cycle of that which is passed down from mother to daughter.”
How do I break a cycle? A cycle of the unknown, of the hidden, a cycle of stains. How do I break a curse that has been passed down, generation to generation? I exhume it, I consume it and I expel it. I rewrite it, translate it, again and again, and again until that translation of a translation has changed into something new, a new unknown — the eternal mother tongue. This is how to remove a stain of the blue dress.
Botha is a South African-born artist, specializing in video performance, sound and sculptural installation artist. Her work reflects on, examines and deconstructs her own experience of identity, place and belonging. She graduated from Michaelis School of Fine Arts, University of Cape Town in 2017.
Quarter life, Pamela Enyonu
“My dream is to find my dream.”
Quarter Life’ is a chronicle of my aspirations until now. First, I wanted to be an artist. Then a lawyer, a teacher, and eventually a myriad of other things. My dreams, now called mirages, have always had a need to save the world. I believed if people needed me, then they loved me. Looking back, it has all been a search to be accepted, and for the first time I want to be selfish with my goals and dreams. ‘Quarter Life’ is an examination of my dreams thus far, and how they have led me to this point. I need to find that one thing which I truly care about which has absolutely nothing to do with anybody but myself.
Pamela is a Ugandan-born mixed media artist, who employs the use of collage, photography and assemblage. She is inspired by stories, materials, and the process it takes to transform them.
Bewitchment, Claude Massassa-Bunny
“My dream is to free myself from bewitchment.”
My dream talks about the bewitchment of my soul, and the spirit to my liberation.
Claude is a Gabonese-born multimedia artist, who opened Bunny Studio in 2016. She gets her inspiration from her passion for images, performance and installation. Her first exhibition was Lumiere Festival at Libreville in 2017. She also participated in the 13th Dakar Biennale 2018. She was invited by European Union as artistic director of photography to 2018 Cultural Patrimoine Festival.
Light (ekitangaala), Joanita Nakigudde
“My dream is light.”
Amidst all the confusion, being stuck, being locked up, frustrated, ignorant, stupid, closed… all this that was going on in my life, I found myself. I am free now. I was transformed. Why not start another chapter of my life here and now!
Joanita is a Ugandan-born artist, and an award-winning fashion designer. Her brand name is Kongoliro. Her major is multimedia art, crafts, graphic design, and concept art from found materials both organic and inorganic like maizecobs, plastic bottles and bottle-tops, leather, clay, cloth offcuts,plastic jerrycans, banana skins, eggshells, calabash, barkcloth. She strongly believes that nothing can become something.
Break free, Olivia Mary Nantongo
“My dream is to be free.”
The mystery behind this notebook talks about how to free oneself from all negativity and bad energy: to focus on the good, and positive things that can help one move forward. The first half of the notebook represents the dark world that I call “MY PRISON”. Here I show what is really happening in my mind when I am in a “black and grey” mood. The second half of the notebook has colorful papers, positive words to heal the heart, mind, and soul. I designed the second half of the book this way to show that I have finallygotten the strength to move on, even if it may have hurt me. I am a PHOENIX, I rise up from the ashes, fight back, and BREAK FREE.
Olivia is a Ugandan-born artist, who describes herself as a multitalented girl. She loves singing, dancing, eating (a lot), reading and writing a little bit of poetry. She has a thing for fashion and a serious weakness for jewelry. She is an oil and acrylics painter, a sculptor, graphics designer and good at drawing human figures, especially in nude.
Optimistic, Nyasha Chanaiwa
“My dream is to ignore those who discourage me in my art career and show them that l can accomplish my goals.”
Success comes from working hard. I always face troubles, and it feels like it sometimes destroys my life, which distracts me from my dreams. I am fighting hard and working hard to succeed so that l can accomplish my life mission. The hole on the book is the community, and the stones represent people who discourage me. The ladder is the way out from the people who distract my dream, while the clouds are my success.
Nyasha is a Zimbabwean-born artist, currently studying at the National Gallery School of Visual Arts and Design, she holds a certificate in Fine Arts. She participated in workshops which include the Fine Arts workshop at Tsoko Gallery, John Kotze workshop at Mbare studio, PPC imaganerium at National Gallery of Zimbabwe and Printmaking workshop at Dzimbanhete. She also participated at the Equalities of Women exhibition held at the National Gallery in 2018.
Impossible, Munashe Munyavi
“My dream is to become a great photographer and see myself exhibiting in one of the best galleries in the world.”
Where people see me, it is not where I will be. So, if you look at my work you will see things from afar, but to me it is near.
Munashe is a Zimbabwean-born artist, currently living and studying in Harare. He is learning painting, steel sculpture and photography at The National Gallery School of Visual Arts and Design, with a focus on photography.
Anointed Pain, Luckmore Tashinga Majiri
“I dream of an egg.”
For me, an egg represents potential. It denotes life that is in one state, but with the capability to transform into another higher state. The shell of an egg is its protection, but when the time is ripe for it to change, the conserving wall becomes a prison to its inhibitor. As such, the life inside has to break free, a process which is brutal but most rewarding. I envision myself as that life that is breaking free from its comfort zone, which is ironically also the prison. My journey to become an Artist is excruciating sometimes, yet nothing else can satisfy me more. It is ironic that it is at birth that death is closest — that phase of being most vulnerable and unsure of the next phase. This uncertainty is depicted in the abstract concept of the book hatching from the egg. This ‘being’ requires nurturing and persistent care to be fruitful. The nest is a symbol for the comforting environment which is necessary for hatching to be possible. Not only does it serve as an escape from the confining egg, it becomes contaminated itself by the birthing process.
Luckmore is a Zimbabwean-born artist who, stemming from his passion for poetry, chose to attend the National Gallery School of Visual Arts and Design. His initial interest was in drawing and painting. He participated in Green Shoots exhibition and Materenda exhibition hosted at the National gallery of Zimbabwe. Raised in a country with a colonial past, and spurred by the zeal to better understand his history and culture, he started an internship at Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions. Here he took on printmaking, combining screen and mono print to create large prints full of life and color, whilst continuing to discover and express the ingenuity buried in African culture.
Aspirations, Lenon Kaparadza
“My dream is to turn most of my imagination into reality.”
My aim is to use my imagination in order to reach my goals. The stairs represent moving up, the yin-yang describes how two seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world. It also represents how the forces may resonate with each other. For me, this shows that in order to face my reality, I need to use my imagination.
Lenon is a Zimbabwean-born artist who resides in Harare. He attended the Howard High School in Glendale. Currently, he is studying Visual Art and Design. Lenon participated in many workshops including PPC Imaginarium, John Kotze realism, and holds a certificate of fine arts. He also participated in the annual exhibition (2017) and the rough diamonds (2017).
My endless dream, Takudzwa Olga Sinoia
“My dream is to be endless like the sound of a playing violin.”
My work has a tension that connects with me as a dreamer. As a violin is played with the connection to the player, I make myself the endless sound of the playing violin. I made the strings in the position of making its sound, which is endless with the motion it brings to the audience.
Takudzwa is a Zimbabwean-born artist, completing her first year at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe School of Visual Arts and Design. She is young and talented, hoping to expand her dream in her community as well as the world at large. She is mainly focusing on mixed media to explore her talent.
Books in flight, Isaac Wadda
“My dream is to achieve a step in the evolution of flight.”
‘Books in Flight’ expresses my passion for flight, and the desire to write ideas in a notebook. It starts with the search to be liberated in life, using a book as a tool to keep opinions and sketches about flying vessels. Using a notebook is the first step of innovation; using it to keep drawings. I believe Moleskine is the book of the future because it influences all sectors, beliefs and thus in books we trust. A book is a key resource to gather strategies, follow objectives, and keep history. If we are to achieve flight, a force is required. Then, it could be said that the notebook is the first force needed to power human flight.
Isaac is a Ugandan-born artist and designer. He explores purpose driven innovative works, design projects, drawing, painting, sculpture and art installations. He was raised in Kampala city, and started practicing the art of drawing and canvas painting at the age of 8. He has continued to develop concepts for art, science, and technological design, as he gained more passion for innovation, art and design.
