Paintings from a Swede's heart

Brigitta Godlund is quite a Swedish fine artist and guest lecturer at The Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts, Makerere University. African decorative styles have been a great source of inspiration that allow her to play with graphic concepts. This exhibition is an interesting travelogue as well as a personal diary of her travels. Despite the outward glamour, Godlund finds travelling difficult. It is a constant adjustment to a new culture. But it is also redefines her very own Swedishness. Godlund conducts facilitating workshops and lectures on creative applications on Art History, and Culture and Identity. She provocatively asks three poignant questions: l Who am I? The nature of identity crisis, thereby encouraging the artist to listen to their inner voice. l Where am I going? l She also asks her students to ponder on the whole point and purpose of painting whether commercial or recreational art. Commercial art is primarily concerned with selling and thus compromise. Art for art's sake is subjective and intent on a self–enquiry and or communication. It is liberating and has no bounds. This is the holy trinity of her approach to art. I can particularly identify with the identity crisis. We Ugandans should be proud of who we are, explore the richness of our cultural diversity rather than be embarrassed by our roots. Instead, we often copy the West. Similarly, we cannot hide our blackness but should celebrate our beauty. It is ironic that this counselling about art neo–colonialism should be taught by a Swede! When Godlund sets up her art workshops, she deliberately chooses landscapes rather than life drawing. They are easy to do, and in the garden of The Ugandan German Cultural Society, the landscape is very accessible. This evokes live inspiration and helps to loosen up the artists. It allows them elasticity. But like all things in life, letting go requires confidence and faith. Godlund's philosophy is to teach and encourage the artist to respond to their individuality. Watercolour is a very difficult medium, however. It requires absolute control of brush to wet paper but it also allows freedom of expression because of its liquid fluidity. A picture can literally "run" and organically grow on paper. The best things in life often happen from experimentation. Having been a museum art educator at the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, Sweden, Godlund's ambition, is to do a workshop at The Uganda Museum. She would like to contribute by inspiring dialogue and sharing artistic ideas between students and teachers and from the community. Exhibition of watercolours and landscapes began on Wednesday at The Ugandan German Cultural Society on Plot 34 A Nakasero Road and will go on to June 21. There will be a workshop on watercolour and landscape painting on June 7 at the same place from 2.00p.m to 5.00p.m.