Ugandan collectors growing and promoting Ugandan art
Aug 20, 2024
“We should not let Ugandan art be discovered by foreigners, who then will take it out of the country,” Eva Kavuma, a founder member of CASU said in her keynote address at the dinner.

Members of CASU, together with artists, gallery owners and guests tour an exhibition from members' collections during the 3rd annual dinner held at the Latitude 0 Hotel in Makindye. (Photo by Kalungi Kabuye)
Kalungi Kabuye
Journalist @New Vision
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The Latitude 0° Hotel on the top of Makindye Hill has been described as an art lovers’ treasure trove, for a reason. Right from the reception and as you enter into the hotel itself, the walls and floors abound with art pieces collected from all over the world. From doors that could’ve been imported from the island of Lamu to middle-eastern pieces on the walls, to a room dedicated to Ethiopian art, it is quite an experience.
This was a fitting setting for the third annual dinner of the Contemporary Art Society of Uganda (CASU) held on Friday evening. Founded in 2022 to bring together Ugandan art collectors, this was a time to gather, reconnect and reaffirm their commitment to growing the Uganda art space by buying and collecting the best that Ugandan artists can produce.
“We should not let Ugandan art be discovered by foreigners, who then will take it out of the country,” Eva Kavuma, a founder member of CASU said in her keynote address at the dinner. “We need to preserve our heritage and nurture a place where art and artists can meet and thrive. We also need to grow the community of art lovers and collectors in Uganda.”
Tio Kawuma (r), Chairperson of the Contemporary Art Society of Uganda, and Daudi Karungi (m) founding member, in conversation with Nicholas Logsdail, founder of the Lisson Gallery in London. (Photo by Kalungi Kabuye)
Gallery owner and also founder member of CASU, Daudi Karungi, narrated how he was in Tanzania and found a painting by Ugandan artist Joseph Ntesibe on sale at a ‘cheap’ price. He had no idea how it got there, or why it was being sold at such a relatively low price. So, he bought it, although he still needed to use two cards to pay for it.
The painting, an untitled oil on canvas, was part of the exhibition of 20 pieces by Uganda artists on show. These were Theresa Musoke, Joseph Ntesibe, Charlene Komuntale, Xenson, and Letaru Dralega. Others were Maria Naita, Richard Atugonza, Emmie Nume, Daudi Karungi, Lillian Nabulime, Stacy Gillian Abe and Henry Mzili Mujunga.
CASU was founded in 2022 to bring together collectors, artists, galleries and others involved in the visual arts in Uganda. There are 9 founding members, including Kavuma and Karungi. Others are Stephen Tio Kauma, the Chairperson and Director and Global Head of Human Resources at the African Export-Import Bank; Barbara Barungi, former lead economist at the African Development Bank; Samalie Kiyingi, General Counsel Corporate & Investment Banking at Standard Chartered Bank; and Linda Mutesi Sekaziga, a lawyer and businesswoman. Others are Julius M. Musoke, a lawyer; Eva Kavuma, Chief Operations Officer at the African Risk Capacity; and Drs George and Nandawula Mutema. They have since been joined by Judith Mugisha, a lawyer and Ivan Lubogo, a US-based business executive.
Collecting art is more than just a desire to possess a particular piece, although it follows innate human instincts to collect things. This was said by the CASU Chairperson Tio Kauma in his introductory remarks.
“Human beings are innately collectors,” Kawuma said. “It can be anything, memories, music, cars, some people even collect people. But art represents the essence of our society, so we collect Ugandan art. And in so doing we try and preserve the best of our art heritage.”
Members of CASU, together with artists, gallery owners and guests pose for a group photo at the 3rd annual dinner held at the Latitude 0 Hotel in Makindye on Friday evening. (Photo by Kalungi Kabuye)
While the Ugandan art scene is vibrant and active, it is still small. Until recently, there was only one real art gallery in the whole of Uganda, the Afri Art Gallery founded by CASU member Karungi. And at most, it supports about 15 artists in the whole country.
That is where CASU come in, according to Eva Kavuma. By buying and collecting art from Ugandan artists, the members are opening up and growing the artistic space in the country.
All the art pieces, which included a curving in wood by renown Uganda sculptor Lillian Nabulime, came from the private collections of CASU members.
They included Musoke’s ‘Untitled’, mixed media on canvas from J.M. Musoke’s collection; ‘When we used to’, mixed media on paper by Emmie Nume (Barbara Barungi collection); ‘Take Only What You Need From Me’ by Daudi Karungi, mixed media on canvas (Daudi and Margriet Karungi collection);’Autonomous Dress’, Digital Painting by Charlene Komuntale (Barungi collection); and ‘Seat of Honour’, performance still by Stacey Gillian Abe (Tio and Kathy Kauma collection).
Others were ‘Namiro’, enamel paint on recycled beverage cans by Xenson (Kauma collection); ‘Shifting paradigms: the old and the new normal’ oil on canvas by Henry Mzili Mujunga (Karungi collection); ‘Untitled’ oil on canvas by Maria Naita (Musoke collection); and ‘The Earth Remains’, mixed media on canvas by Letaru Dralega (Linda Mutesi collection);
There was an untitled carving from wood by Lillian Nabulime (Barbara Mulwana collection), and Imperfections Perfections, a PET cast by Richard Atugonza (Kauma collection).
Also in attendance was Nicholas Logsdail, founder of the famous Lisson Gallery in London. Founded in 1967, the Lisson Gallery now has spaces in London, New York, Shanghai and Beijing; and supports more than 70 international artists.
“Art is about delayed satisfaction, like most things in Life,” said Logsdail, who is now setting up an art-related community project in the Kenyan town of Lamu. “To make it work you need reciprocity; the relationship between collector, gallery, museum folks, curators is a partnership.”
The exhibition ran from Friday till Sunday.