Ssewanyana brings life to applied sculpture
Apr 07, 2005
AS the visual arts industry grows in Uganda, so do the number of artists
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
AS the visual arts industry grows in Uganda, so do the number of artists, and so does the need for these artists to discover new and different approaches to their work.
This has sparked a gradual transition by artists, a movement from conventional forms of art to more innovative and practical genres, in which artists not only produce beautiful work but also transform it into usable forms.
One such genre is applied sculpture.
This is a style of art where different sculpture material is transformed into functional models that can be used in daily life. It takes the form of furniture, interior décor, cupboards, sideboards, beds and office furniture.
For all its richness, applied sculpture remains virgin territory on the Ugandan visual arts scene, pretty much avoided by many artists in favour of conventionally ordinary sculpture.
But as Robert Ssewanyana, one of the few artists who have explored this technique observes, applied sculpture breathes life into ordinary sculpture. One that blends aesthetic appeal and function.
“The major purpose of applied sculpture is to produce work that that is both admirable and utilitarian. The kind of work that will not only be admired for its beauty but also be put to various uses,†says Ssewanyana.
Ssewanyana’s work focuses on investigative techniques based on various industrial designs. Deriving inspiration from nature, African designs and cultural themes, Ssewanyana uses ordinary material such as softwood (Cyprus), hard wood, block boards and Modified Density Fibre (MDF) boards to produce a range of items including beds, sideboards, coffee sets, office and living room furniture.
Curved into creative templates and sharp edges, his products display a careful manipulation of form, structure, space and colour to present new and rich arrangements of patterns.
In much of his work, Ssewanyana struggles to strike a balance between western sophistication and African traditional values.
Some of his products are adorned with cultural symbols. His work thrives on flexibility; the ability to tailor his themes to suit the demands of the end users.
One particularly interesting one is a sideboard adorned with an image of Ekobe, one of the 52 Buganda clans.
This sideboard was recently presented at an introduction (Kwanjula) ceremony.
Ssewanyana may have led the way for many furniture designers and sculptors, but he as a practicing sculptor, graduate, and lecturer of sculpture at Makerere University school of fine arts, he has a duty to demystify applied sculpture.
AS the visual arts industry grows in Uganda, so do the number of artists, and so does the need for these artists to discover new and different approaches to their work.
This has sparked a gradual transition by artists, a movement from conventional forms of art to more innovative and practical genres, in which artists not only produce beautiful work but also transform it into usable forms.
One such genre is applied sculpture.
This is a style of art where different sculpture material is transformed into functional models that can be used in daily life. It takes the form of furniture, interior décor, cupboards, sideboards, beds and office furniture.
For all its richness, applied sculpture remains virgin territory on the Ugandan visual arts scene, pretty much avoided by many artists in favour of conventionally ordinary sculpture.
But as Robert Ssewanyana, one of the few artists who have explored this technique observes, applied sculpture breathes life into ordinary sculpture. One that blends aesthetic appeal and function.
“The major purpose of applied sculpture is to produce work that that is both admirable and utilitarian. The kind of work that will not only be admired for its beauty but also be put to various uses,†says Ssewanyana.
Ssewanyana’s work focuses on investigative techniques based on various industrial designs. Deriving inspiration from nature, African designs and cultural themes, Ssewanyana uses ordinary material such as softwood (Cyprus), hard wood, block boards and Modified Density Fibre (MDF) boards to produce a range of items including beds, sideboards, coffee sets, office and living room furniture.
Curved into creative templates and sharp edges, his products display a careful manipulation of form, structure, space and colour to present new and rich arrangements of patterns.
In much of his work, Ssewanyana struggles to strike a balance between western sophistication and African traditional values.
Some of his products are adorned with cultural symbols. His work thrives on flexibility; the ability to tailor his themes to suit the demands of the end users.
One particularly interesting one is a sideboard adorned with an image of Ekobe, one of the 52 Buganda clans.
This sideboard was recently presented at an introduction (Kwanjula) ceremony.
Ssewanyana may have led the way for many furniture designers and sculptors, but he as a practicing sculptor, graduate, and lecturer of sculpture at Makerere University school of fine arts, he has a duty to demystify applied sculpture.