I learnt about capitalism, white supremacy, classism and imperalism from my Mother, thanks to her employer and her homeland - a former British Protectorate. An NHS midwife, recruited in Uganda, my Mother endured incredibly toxic working environments in the 1970s. Which Black person hasnt heard, "you need to work twice as hard than white people"? However, I understood clearly that she worked all the hours she could to take care of me, my siblings and her family back in Uganda. She also worked overtime to make up for what my Father failed to provide due to absenteeism and an over reliance on my to provide care.
I learnt about patriarchy and mysogyny from my Dad. His wreckless behaviour in my childhood devastated me and traumatised me into believing "I'm not enough".
Parents aside, taking accountability for how I have internalised these systemic practices and coped (or not) with trauma has encouraged me to start making choices as the 39 year old I am today, as opposed to the hurt and angry 13 year old I can still feel.
You can view, "Birungi, you are (not) hysterical" and my present and future self portraits at Makerere University Gallery, as part of the @sights_of_resistance exhibition "Holding Space"
Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 4pm until Saturday 8 April
📷 Royal Kenogo @little.goddess.k and Birungi Kawooya
#RestIsResistance #ArtInstallation #UgandanArt #NjabalaFoundation #ArtExhibition #ArtTherapy #BarkCloth #BananaFibre #FibreArtist
Thank you to 32° East Ugandan Arts Trust, Arts Council England, Moleskine Foundation, Akka Project, Linda Umutesi and FG Foundation.
Past Self Portrait: Birungi, you are (not) hysterical (2023)
Medium: Bark cloth, banana fibres, wax pastel