Exhibitions

Prof. Pilkington Sengendo was invited to speak at the Africa 95 symposium, a symposium that had been organised as part of the Africa 95 exhibition. He was invited, I imagine, because

1. he was at the time the only scholar in the country who wrote eloquently about contemporary art in Uganda,
2. he was at the time the head of the Makerere School of Fine Art, the institution that supplied the exhibits, and,
3. he was familiar with the work that had been collected for the symposium

In any case, both his undergraduate and post graduate work was at the time part of the Makerere Art Gallery collection, although it was not included in the Africa 95 exhibition. Prof. Sengendo was both a sculptor and painter. I remember him giving us a demonstration on modeling in cement in the early 80s. Masikini is his iconic terracotta sculpture—its heavy and sluggish features accentuate its sense of pity and helplessness.

I like this sculpture because of its humor but more importantly because it helps me to understand Sengendo as an artist for whom observation drawing was secondary. Although mastery of technique was a very important consideration in the School’s curriculum in the 60s, I realize that the system was open enough to permit Sengendo to subordinate and sacrifice it at the altar of individual expression. Cecil Todd (60s) and Francis Musango (80s) were Sengendo’s trusted professors. The two shared one thing in common; a contempt for traditional African art as potentially potent to inspire and spur creativity for a modern African artist. Musango would in fact laugh at any suggestion that traditional African art could carry any academic merit.

In the Africa 95 Symposium, Sengendo was unequivocal in his articulation that Ugandan artists are unencumbered by the burden of the cultural past. His counterparts from West Africa vehemently disagreed with that position. Whatever it was, whether out of date or extant, following colonialism intervention--be it weaving, pottery, storytelling, drama etc, that is indeed your inheritance, they told him. The non-figurative art that abounded in East Africa was not in any way inferior to the spectacular masks and masquerades from West Africa. Sengendo’s admiration for the flamboyant and scholarly Todd had blinded him, albeit temporarily, from appreciating Trowell’s precepts—for indeed this was what Trowell advocated for—to be attentive to and creatively use traditions inherited from the past as building blocks for an African modernism to occur. Sengendo needed a reassurance especially from internationally acclaimed artists of the continent, that to be an African artist of substance, one needed to acknowledge the past with empathy and respect. The Africa 95 symposium changed Sengendo and his art for ever thereafter. One can understand the quick u-turn given that he was closely linked to the Buganda monarchy which had only been restored a couple of years earlier.

The strategy of building surfaces with found objects that he had started in his Masters’ studio research in the early 80s was revisited with verve. After the 1981-86 civil war, figural motifs that expressed morbid subjects were no longer relevant. The stable political and economic environment allowed artists to explore formal content and Sengendo was at its fore front. He was supported by Prof. Nnaggenda also a colleague--an experimental artist whom Prof. Sidney Kasfir writes about in 1969 in the prestigious American Journal of African Art. Consistent and persistent in recuperating found material, Nnaggenda became Sengendo’s natural ally in his crusade to renew past traditions along modern lines. Sengendo incorporated material culture such as bark cloth mats, baskets, beads etc on his canvases. His subject matter too changed from the Kyaddondo Landscape that typified him in the 80s to overt and covert content taken from aspects of Ganda culture. When the King (Kabaka) of Buganda Ronnie Mutebi got married in 2008, he made one of his best known paintings the King and the Queen as a celebration of that historical wedding.

In the King and the Queen, jute cloth and cotton cloth are stitched together and unified by smudgy paint. Stitching is an important aspect of bark cloth making. Most if not all bark cloth would require frequent patching up. The materials the painter would have picked from a rubbish heap have an organic tactile quality. The juxtaposition of varying textures creates a strong visual impression. They are themselves objects of visual interest in their individual ways as they are in their corporate alliance in the context of the overall appearance of the painting. The high saturation of red and browns in the King and Queen is a deliberate link to the idea of bark cloth.

Prof. Sengendo also investigated proverbs, myths and legends, and these formed a major part of his PhD by studio research co-supervised by Prof. Nnaggenda, which he completed in 2013.

A gregarious man who radiated energy and passion Prof. Sengendo was fun to be with. He was imaginative in his teaching and humorous, which made him inspirational to his students. His interaction with Richard Kabiito one of his protégés was particularly profitable and mutually beneficial. Kabiito completed his masters in painting in 1998. Like his professor, Kabiito infused his canvases with elements of material culture. As individual independent units, mats, baskets, etc, have always been treated as crafts. I have personally always had a problem contending with the distinction between art and crafts. As far as I know, they both have the same goal—enabling us to see the world from a fresh perspective. What we learn however is that both Sengendo and Kabiito have dismembered and re-membered the crafts (material culture) on canvas integrating it with oil paint. In so doing, they have forged a reciprocal relationship between the so called low and high art and together, they have contributed to the search for modern Ugandan art.

It is reasonable to argue that by 2010, Sengendo was standing clear of the Todd legacy that as he explains in his PhD document, “Todd’s legacy not only launched the students work into mainstream art, it made it intellectually, politically conscious. However under his legacy, I missed out on the art of indigenous cultural identity and there was neither a deliberate pedagogical policy nor evidence about knowledge of African cultural art of identity by the expatriate instructors”. It is this legacy that had led him to believe that the past was remotely relevant in bringing about a Ugandan modernism.

His last paintings strongly engage with his personal relationship with both tangible and intangible Ganda culture. They are rooted in local circumstances and a powerful manifestation of his knowledge of the local and international. The paintings in this exhibition are a testimony to a man who firmly believed in the power of art—not just any art, but that art, the art of meaning, which he strived to make all his life, to transform.

Text by Prof. George W. Kyeyune

^{George W. Kyeyune is a painter, sculptor, art Historian and senior lecturer at Makerere University}.

Prof. Pilkington Nsibambi Sengendo 

Biography

Born in 1942 to Simeoni and Eva Nsibambi, Sengendo grew up in Mengo and went to Makerere College School. He received a diploma in fine art in 1966. He once served as the head teacher of East Kololo Primary School in Kampala. He later obtained a master’s degree in painting. He started lecturing at Makerere University in 1983. From 1989-1995, Prof Sengendo served as Dean of the Margret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts. He helped in the execution of Kabaka Ronald Mutebi’s monument in Bulange and the Centenary Park monument which now graces the Ugandan currency. He was a member of the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) board. Prof Sengendo obtained his PhD in Fine Art from Makerere University in 2013.

“Nze Sengendo ndi Muganda”GgweAni?: From Sengendo's art to the celebration of our identities”

It is more than a year since Professor Pilkington Nsibambi Sengendo died in October 2015. This exhibition gives us a wonderful occasion to remember him as a professor, an artist, a leader, a mentor and a father. I have no doubt that the artworks in this show [re]present all these things. But I want to speak to one other attribute which underlines this exhibition and is important to all of us as we remember him, namely that: Sengendo yali musajja muganda.

N’olwekyo wadde ng’oluzungu nduwandiikidde ebbanga ggwanvu, era n’ebintu ebisinga obungi byennaakawandiika mu bulamu bwange biri mu lungereza, olwaleero ngenda kuwandiika mu nnimi bbiri nga nteeka essiira ku lulimi lwange, olulimi lwa Sengendo, olulimi oLuganda. Kino nkikoze lwa nsonga bbiri: Esooka, nfunye omukisa guno; ka ngukozese. Ey’okubiri, Pulofeesa Sengendo yali musajja Muganda atatya kwatula ekyo kyali ng’akozesa ebifaananyi bye ebyesigamizibbwa ku bwaKabaka bwa Buganda, obuwangwa bw’aBaganda n’olulimi oLuganda. Bwe ntunuulira ebifaananyi byeyaleka mu nsi nneeyongera okusanyukira oBuganda, okuba oMuganda, okussa ekitiibwa mu lulimi lwange oLuganda n’okwongera okuluyiga.

Kino kikulu nnyo gyendi lwansonga eno: Mu myaka gy’ensanvu waabangawo enkola eyagobererwanga mu masomero mangi naddala agali mu byalo nga muno mw’otwalidde n’eryo mwe nnasomera pulayimale (primary school). Kyabanga kya tteeka okwogera oluzungu ku ssomero. Ebibonerezo ebikakali byaweebwanga oyo yenna ayakwatibwangako ettaano ng’ayogera olulimi oLuganda. Abasomesa baakozesanga bayizi bannaffe nga bambega. Bano bebaaloopanga buli ayogedde oLuganda buli lunaku. Tewaabangawo kuwoza. Emiggo gyavuganga; amagumba g’ensolo gayambikwanga mu bulago bw’abo abaakwatibwanga nga boogera oLuganda.Nga 12/10/2016 nnafuna okwennyamira omu ku bayizi bange bensomesa e Makerere University, nga naye musomesa, bwe yantegeeza nti enkola eno ekyagenda mu maaso kinnawadda era naye agikozesa.

Buzibu ki obuli mu nkola eno? Nze nga bwendaba, abasomesa bayinza okuba balina ekigendererwa eky’okulaba nti abayizi baabwe bayita ebigezo ebibaweebwa mu lulimi oLungereza. Kino kya ttendo. Naye kya nnaku nti enkola eno ereetera abayizi okukyawa ennimi zaabwe enzaaliranwa eziteekebwa mu ttuluba eryawamu eriyitibwa“vanakyula” (vernacular). Abasomesa balaga bayizi nti lwo olungereza ssi “vanakyula” era lwa waggulu nnyo buli muyizi alina okulumanya ssinakindi okulusinza. Wano wewava emijiji gy’abavubuka abakyawa amawanga n’obuwangwa bwabwe nga batiitiibya obw’abagwira naddala obwo obuwandiikiddwa mululimi oLungereza.

Bruno Sserunkuuma musomesa e Makerere era musomesa wange. Mu lukiiko olumu mwennali naye yateesa nti tusaanye okusomesa mu nnimi zaffe tukomye okuyigiriza abayizi mululimi oLungereza lwokka. Nzikirizaganya naye. Naye ate waliwo kyetulina okwetegereza obulungi nga tetunnaba kuteeka kiteeso kya Sserunkuua mu nkola, era kyekino: abayizi nabo bayinza okubanga baakyusibwa dda obwongo; kati basuubira nti obuyigirize kitegeeza kwegaana buwangwa na kwogera Lungereza.

Nnina ekyokulabirako: Nga 24/10/2016 nnayogerako eri abayizi b’e Makerere ab’omwaka ogw’okubiri. Nnali mbasomesa essomo ly’okunoonyereza (research methods). Nnayagala okulaga abayizi bano nti n’abayigirize balina amawanga n’obuwangwa. Tuyinza okukozesa amawanga gaffe (n’ennimi) okwongera ku bumanyirivu bwetulina era tekiswaza omuntu okuba oMuganda, oMunyankore, oMukiga, oMucholi oba oMulala. Wano we nnasabira aBaganda bayimirireko katono bannaabwe babalabe. Wadde nga mu kibiina mwalimu aBaganda bangi tebaasobola kuyimirira. Nnasaba aBanyankore bayimirire naye nabo tebaayimirira. Omuwala omu yekka yeyavaayo n’antegeeza nti Mujapadhola era yenyumiriza nnyo mu ggwanga lye. Nnamwebaza nnyo olw’ekikolwa ekyo.

Lwaki?

George Hearn nzaalwa ye Missouri mu United States of America. Yayimba oluyimba I am What I am (1983) olwa wandiikibwa Jerry Herman. Oluyimba luno lukwata kubintu ebisukka mu kimu. Naye nze ndwagala olw’amaanyi Hearn gaakozesa ng’akkaatiriza ensonga ye nti: “I am what I am, I shout how proud I am, what I am” (ekivvuunulwa nti: ndi ekyo kyendi, kandekaanire waggulu engeri gyenenyumiriza olw’okuba ndi ekyo kyendi). Oluyimba luno lwekuusa kw’ekyo omuwala oMujapadhola kye yakola. Obutaba nga banne, yayatula ekyo kyali. Naye ate era lumpa eky’okuyiga ekirara kyensanga mu kifaananyi kya Sengendo kyeyatuuma Abaana n'Abazzukulu Omuziro Ffumbe(2005).

Abaana n'Abazzukulu Omuziro Ffumbe ky’ekimu ku bifaananyi Sengendo byeyasiiga ng’ali ku misomo gye egya ddiguli eya PhD. Yakozesa sitayiro ya modanizimu (modernism) gye yayigira kubasomesa be Cecil Todd, Jonathan Kingdon, Gregory Maloba n’abalala. Naye kyawukana nnyo ku bifaananyi ebirala bye yakola mu myaka gy’enkaaga ng’asoma ddipulooma ye mu kuwunda ebifaananyi. Okugeza, kyawukana ku Masikini (1962) gwe yabumba okulaga obuyinike bw’abo abateesobola (Fig 1). Masikini alaga omuntu alikumiggo olw’obulema. Talina magulu. Talabika nga alina amaaso yadde ng’alina ebituli wegandibadde. Ayasamizza akamwa ke ng’afuba okwekulula atambule. Bino byonna bilaga nti Sengendo yeesigama ku mulamwa gw’obulemu kumubiri gw’omuntu. Obutaba nga Masikini, Abaana n'Abazzukulu Omuziro Ffumbe kiri ku mulamwa gw’ensibuko: ensibuko ya Sengendo, ensibuko y’abaana be, ensibuko y’abazzukulu be. Alaga nti ye, nga Sengendo, musajja Muganda, alina omuziro, abaana be, n’abazzukulu bonna beddira omuziro gumu: Ffumbe.

Naye ate amakulu g’Abaana n’Ababazzukulu Omuziro Ffumbe magazi tegakoma ku nju ya Sengendo yokka. Mu kusiiga ekifaananyi kino, Sengendo alabika alina ekibuuzo kyeyali addamu ekikwata ku ggwa nange, era kyekino: ggw’ani?

Kino ekibuuzo kikwata ku nsibuko ya buli muntu. Mungeri eno ekifaananyi omugenzi kyeyatuuma Abaana n'Abazzukulu Omuziro Ffumbe kitandika okukwatagana n’ebimu ku bifaananyi bye yasiiga ng’akola ddiguli ye ey’okubiri mu gy’ekinaana. Okugeza, wadde nga yali ku mulamwa gwa nkula y’Essaza ly’eKyaddondo, ebifaananyi byeyasiiga mu kiseera ekyo biraga nti Sengendo yali atandise okwatula nti musajja Muganda ng’akozesa ebifaananyi ebisiige ng’olulimi. Kuno kwe kwatula kwaddingana lunye mu kifaananyi kye kye yayita Abeffumbe b’eBakka (2004) mweyayita okujaganya olw’obumu obuli mu kika kye eky’Effumbe ekisibuka mu mutala Bakka.

Ba jjajja ffe abaalugera baalutuusa nti: “agali awamu ge galuma ennyama.” Olugero luno lutegeeza nti obumu kintu kikulu nnyo mu nkolagana n’enkulaakulana y’abantu. N’olwekyo, nga Sengendo bw’alaga mukifaananyi kye Abeffumbe e’Bakka, obumu bwa nkizo nnyo nnyini mu bika by’aBaganda. Buganda kweyimiridde; bwe buzimbiddwaako obwa Kabaka bwa Buganda nga bulina amaanyi, enkulaakulana, n’essanyu Sengendo by’atendereza ng’ayita mu bifaananyi bye bino: Abagoma ba Kabaka, Mwogeze nnyo Engoma, n’eya Ttimba n’Engalabi (2006-2008), Kabaka ng’Alina Obuyinza n’Ekitiibwa (2006-2008), Lubaale Kabaka Wanga I, Weebale Kutaasa Omwezi n’Enjuba (2004-2007) ne Royal Wedding a Tribute to Mutebi (1999-2004).

Mungeri eno ebifaananyi bya Sengendo ebyesigamizibbwa ku bika bya Baganda binzijukiza ennyimba zino: Ebika olwa Christopher Ssebadduka (RIP), Ebika by’Abaganda olwa Philly Bongoley Lutaaya (RIP) n’okusingira ddala Ebika by’aBaganda olwa Fredo Ft James B. Ennyimba zino zonna ziraga omugaso gw’ebika mu kuzimba obumu nga guno gwe musingi Buganda kwetambulira. Nga Hearn mu luyimba lwe I am What I am, Sengendo ayatula n’amaanyi ngayita mu bifaananyi bye nti: ye ali ekyo ky’ali, musajja Muganda eyeddira eFfumbe.

Okutuukiriza kino yakozeza ennimi ssatu:

• olulimioluwandiike (text)
• olulimiolusiige (painting)
• olulimi olusiige-mu-buwandiike (painting-as-text)

Wadde nga yali ategeera bulungi olulimi olungereza, era ng’alwogera bulungi n’okuluwandiika, mu bifaananyi bye Sengendo yakozesa olulimi oLuganda n’olungereza. Kano kaali kakodyo akaamuwa enkizo okusobola okwogera eggwanga n’obuwangwa bwe ng’ayita mu bifaananyi bye awatali kuvvuunula; ng’ayatula awatali kwe komomma.

N’olwekyo, kituufu ebifaananyi ebiri mu mwoleso guno byogera ku Sengendo n’abenju ye. Naye ate birina amakulu mangi eri buli omu aze mu mwoleso guno n’abo bonna abalibiraba na ddala abo abakulidde ku mulembe ogusomesebwa okukyawa oBuganda, oLuganda n’okuba oMuganda. Sengendo ayogera eri buli omu mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka nti: leekanira waggulu; weenyumirize mwekyo kyoli; nze Sengendo ndi Muganda; abaana bange n’abazzukulu omuziro Ffumbe. Omwoleso guno tugutwale nga mukulu. Gubeere kyakulabirako era entandikwa ya buli omu okwenyumiriza mu ekyo kyali ng’ayatula ekika kye n’eggwanga lye.

Nze kamwa koogera kankozese omukisa guno njatule nga ssirina kwe komomma kwonna nti: Nze Angelo Kakande, ndi musajja Muganda. Ndi mutabani wa Paulo Kyanku. Ndi muzzukulu wa Gabulyeri Ttakalirya. Ndi muzzukulu wa Njala Egobye. Nva mu lunyiriri lwa Nnakatalanga Nkoola. Nsibuka mu Mutuba gwa Kalungi e Busere. Nva mu ssiga lya Kasule e Buwembo. Neddira Ngeye; akabbiro Kkunguvvu. Kasujja kumutala wali e Busujja ye mukulu w'ekika kyange. Omubala: Tatuula asuulumba busuulumbi.

Abaffe, ye ggwe, ggw’ani? Weddira ki? Era oli wa ggwanga ki?

Wummula mirembe Pulofeesa Sengendo!

Agundeegunde Maaso Moogi!

Text by Angelo Kakande

^{Angelo Kakande is a Senior Lecturer at Makerere University and Senior Research Associate at Rhodes University. He is a Fellow of the American Council for Learned Societies and Fellow of the Next Generation of African Academics II. He is an artist (ceramist and painter), art historian (with an interest in contemporary African art) and a lawyer (with an interest in human rights law). angelo@cedat.mak.ac.ug}

^{I thank Amanda Tumusiime, Margaret Nagawa and Franco Owendogambi who read my drafts and gave me feedback. Special thanks go to the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Makerere University and the National Research Foundation Chair in Geopolitics and the Arts of Africa (NRF and DST) at Rhodes University (Grahamstown, South Africa) for their support.}