UNIT 1: THE DEVELOPMENT OF ART THROUGH DIFFERENT ERAS
Key unit competence:
To be able to describe the key points in the evolution of Art through ages
and carryout an appreciation of techniques and works of renowned Artistsin Rwanda and East Africa in general.
1.1. Introduction of art in Rwanda
1.1.1. Art in Rwanda
Rwanda is one of the African countries that shave stuck to their cultures.
Seeing no reason to become complacent with her culture, Rwanda has
maintained an explicit and traditionally refined culture that has been neatly
marketed across the globe where basket craft products decorated with
“Imigongo” pattern have been appreciated by a large number of people in thisworld.
Rwanda’s Art dates way back to the early 1880’s, when Rwandans distinctively
used dung ‘paintings’ known on IMIGONGO Styles. Often in the colours black,
white and red, popular themes include spiral and geometric designs that are
painted on walls, pottery, and canvas. They were used in local house decorationsespecially inside the houses.
The different objects are produced using cow dung and clay which is put onto
wooden boards in spiral and geometric designs. The dung is left to harden and
is then decorated using colours made from organic materials. The traditional
colours are black, white, red, grey and yellow but increasingly other colours are
being used.
However, much of Rwanda’s traditional cultural heritage revolved around dances,
praise songs, dynastic poems, drums (for example the royal drum ‘Karinga’),
riddles, and traditional crafts such as basketry, weaving, pottery, and ironworks.These provided another element of continuity with the past.
It is very paramount to note that the craftworks in figure 4above were made from
weaving, pottery and blacksmithing.
1.2. Famous/Renowned artists in Rwanda
Rwanda has famous Artists like SEBUKANGA Jean Baptiste (sculptor), Medard
Bizimana (sculptor), Pascal BUSHAYIJA (painter), NTAMABYARIRO Leopold
(painter and art educator), KAYITANA Faustin (sculptor)who was a teacher at
Ecole d’Arts de Nyundo, Laurent HATEGEKIMANA (sculptor), BIRASA Bernard
(painter), KIRIMOBENECYO Alphonse (he designed Rwanda flag and National
emblem), Epa BINAMUNGU (painter), KABAKERA Jean Marie Vianney
(sculptor) and others.
• SEBUKANGAGA Jean Baptiste
Sebukangaga was born in 1937 in Gitarama, at Ntenyo, in 1947 he started
his school at Byimana Primary school, in 1952-1955 he was in Ecole d’Art de
Kabgayi and joined Academie des Beaux Arts de Kinshasa (1955-1959) in
ceramic.
In 1959, he returned to Rwanda to work with Brother Marc Wallenda on the
project of creating a School of Arts in Nyundo, Gisenyi prefecture/province, the
current Rubavu district. This school was founded by Brother Marc Wallenda
in 1953. It was officially opened by the high ranking government officials in
1963 and during the opening ceremony, the first exhibition displaying the
paintings and sculptures produced at the school by the students was made,
Sebukangaga became the co-founder of that school and professor in charge
of technical courses (1963-1966). From 1969 up to 1988, Sebukangaga wasprofessor at the National Institute of Education (IPN).
• KABAKERA Jean Marie Vianney
KABAKERA Jean Marie Vianney is a Rwandan artist, born in 1968. He is a
sculptor by profession. He studied at Ecole d’Arts de Nyundo which was formally
called “Normale artistique” He made statues set up in front of the minor Basilica
of Kabgayi, statues at Rusororo, 2 statues in the fathers Marians de Kibeho andmany others.
• BIZIMANA Medard is a Rwandan renowned artist, a sculptor by profession,
born in 1967 in Nyundo, he started primary school from 1974 to 1983. He
studied his secondary School at Ecole d’Arts de Nyundo from 1983 to 1990.
From 1991 to 1993, he was a Teacher of Art at Saint Joseph High School in
Gitarama/ Rwanda. In 2003, he won the second national award for Olympic
games competition. The theme was ART AND SPORTS.
In 2004, he participated in the 7th China Changchun International Sculpture
Symposium. In 2006, he won the first category National Award under the Theme
“TOLERANCE -MUSEUMS RWANDA”. Still in 2006, he won again the First
category National Award for the best sculpture in MUSEUMS OF RWAMDA.
In 2008, he got the Second category National Award under the theme “THEEDUCATION OF AN EXCELLENT CULTURE-MUSEUMS OF RWANDA”.
• BIRASA Bernard
BIRASA Bernard is a Rwandan sculptor and a painter, born in 1967. He studied
at Ecole d’Arts de Nyundo from 1985 to 1991, he also studied what was called
“Normale artistique”. Some of his artworks are exhibited in different places,
museums and embassy. When he was in Senior six (1991), he made a sculpture
called “La fille au calebasse” that expressed the beauty of a young girl and it isnow in Gabon (Libreville) in a library.
• BUSHAYIJA Pascal
BUSHAYIJA Pascalis a Rwandan renowned artist, born in 1957. He studied
at Ecole d’Arts de Nyundo from 1973 to 1978 and taught at Ecole d’Arts de
Nyundo from 1983 to 1994. He lives in Kigali (Nyarugenge), he attended many
exhibitions outside the country and apart from being a visual artist, he is also asinger, and commonly known by his song “ELINA”.
