Kaspa’s Heard Voices
The artist plunges into making introspective work that invites his audience to stop, listen and reflect on the concept of human existence and how we connect with our immediate surroundings.
ARTS | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | Artists need to take a break from their routine of making art and reflect on the direction of their practice in the future. This may not be a “break” in its literal sense but a form of interruption in their usual way of working, which oftentimes renders their work predictable and boring. This is the doomsday for many artists, either emerging or established, because regardless of how talented the artist may be, if their art is not fresh in terms of technique and subject matter, they most likely have the least chances with discerning clienteles. This type can pay a good price for art when they find it. But Paul Kasambeko escapes this pitfall of predictability, evident with his new solo exhibition at Bumu Art Gallery. The artist, a pioneer of a breed of artists who emerged during the early 2000s making largely touristic art, has made a leap in his practice by experimenting with different forms, techniques, and subject matter to symbolize his growth on canvas and a complete commitment to creating art that is more than the visual aesthetics. This certainly is his forte in this exhibition appropriately titled Heard Voices, where he asks his audience to pause, listen, and reflect on life.
Working largely in his “conceived” style of abstract expressionism, the artist traverses different themes of everyday living in his immediate surroundings. He’s mostly inspired by the major theme of emotions and feelings as he puts his message forward, and through this form of inspiration, he is able to create thought-provoking abstract or semi-abstract paintings that immediately seize the viewers’ attention. The artist’s technique of deploying a vibrant, colorful palette and wax fabric in several of his notably introspective paintings is a ploy to create excitement and intrigue in the paintings.
When one stands before the paintings, they’re eternally drawn to them, and through this engagement, they become part and parcel of the artist’s pursuit of self-expression. In Pulse of Nature the artist paints an abstract composition of sunshine yellow both in the background and foreground with a sky blue and grey background on the right. The heart of the painting illuminates with textile collage in both monochromic and brightly coloured hues. The artist here wishes to pay homage to the beauty of nature, but not in its simplistic definition of beautiful tropical vegetation but in the complexity of the natural world where humans inhabit. The notion of blending paint and collage in the same composition seemingly evokes a feeling of coexistence yet at the same time suggests a tension between the natural and the artificial represented by the synthetic fabric. In this, the artist seeks to invite his audience to reflect on the world we live in and how we relate with everything in our immediate surroundings.
The artist’s paintings of waterscapes depicting dhows sailing on ocean waters or water lilies floating on water are obviously a departure from the deep philosophical approach to life. These paintings strategically positioned at the entrance of the gallery offer an atmosphere of serenity and calmness, which ushers you into the exhibition. Their simple compositions, inspired by regular sights of fishermen fishing in the lake or water plants floating on the lakeshores, easily invite the viewer’s attention to the paintings and may carry special memories for the individual guests, prompting them to succumb to the urge to walk away with one of them. Nonetheless, these charming paintings delicately carry the identity of therapeutic art because of their ability to calm the viewer’s mind from the hustle and bustle of the city. The artist’s adeptness to capture light, perspective, and form in one composition involuntarily enlists the viewer onto a journey of rejuvenation where their new self is reborn.
With this exhibition, Kaspa has reaffirmed his full commitment to create art that deeply engages his audiences and stands out among that generation of artists who are making art to simply survive. His thought-provoking artworks, coupled with his multiplicity of techniques and styles on canvas, are all a deliberate attempt to rediscover himself as an artist but also create enduring ways for the public to connect with his art.
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Heard Voices is showing now at Umoja Art gallery located on plot 180, Moyo Close, Mukalazi Road, Bukoto, behind Princess Kevina, Kampala.
