Country of a Thousand Hills

Muraho - as you would say in Rwanda and welcome back to our weekly appointment! This summer I had the most amazing trip to Rwanda, which lays in central Africa. Rwanda has such a broad spectrum of cultural and historical characteristics to offer which I was very eager to discover from the moment I laid foot in Kigali, the capital city. Allow me to talk you through one of the most inspiring trips I have ever taken and the story of a country which had a fatal fallout in 1994. Wait, wait, stop - I forgot to add something - and of course we will talk about the wonderful art and culture that I was able to experience on this trip.

First things first, let’s have a short but well-rounded history recap on Rwanda. When I was in Kigali and visited the genocide centre I myself was confronted with the gruesome past Rwanda had to endure. The country became independent in 1962. It has three ethnic groups the Hutu (85%), Tutsi (14%) and Twa (1%). In 1994, the ethnic strife between the minority Tutsi and the majority Hutu, that the Belgian colonizers created, erupted into a civil war and resulted in the genocide of 500,000-1,000,000 Tutsi, which accounted for about 70% of their population in Rwanda. Only twenty-five years have passed and although this dreadful genocide left huge scars, the past years in Rwanda are characterized by reconstruction and ethnic reconciliation. Rwanda is a country that was pushed to its limits twenty-five years ago but managed to rebuild itself - the “Singapore of Africa” is a term that many uses to describe the country of a thousand hills today.

A country that is so rich in resources with an overwhelmingly beautiful nature and culture offers a lot of attractions. On one hand you have the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, on the other, art and cultural handcrafts. Travelling through Kigali I came across an amazing gallery which supports local artists called Inema Arts Centre. Its aim is to promote and share the creations of artists that are inhabitants to Rwanda or other African countries. The gallery is set up in a small two-story building with a backyard and a small cafe on its terrace. Once inside you are met by bright colours, a very usual colour scheme in Africa. I didn’t know what to expect when I entered - the gallery had small pieces of art that you could easily transport back home, but also large canvases with magnificent details. The artists used plastic, acrylic and oil paint but also diverse mediums such as sand and old cloth.

One artist amazed especially me : Timothy Akamanzi. I found his work mesmerizing and in a certain sense hypnotizing. His pieces are inspired by the lush Rwandan nature and, through his travels, by the topography of Scandinavia. The acrylic and metallic colours he uses give the pieces texture and depth, which convey emotion to the viewer. Most of his pieces are created in one colour scheme intensifying the message and feelings the viewer experiences, furthermore, creating fluidity and continuity. Below you can see my favourite pieces and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

 Once you glance at the garden of the centre you can see various artists working on their creations under the hot, beating summer sun. I was amazed at how intriguing and tranquil the whole set up was, looking at the art made you feel like you were indeed part of something bigger, you weren’t stuck in a high-end art museum but in the backyard of a aged house. There was a playful side to it all, but you could sense how important the art and the work was to the people that ran the place. It is their mean of expressing themselves and giving back to a community that in the past has suffered enough hardship.

Overall my trip to Rwanda was eye-opening and left a deep impression. Not only was I intrigued by Rwanda’s nature, super cute gorillas and booming development, but also by its history and cultural side. I hope that I will get the chance to visit this country again and believe me when I say that I can recommend a trip to anyone that doesn’t desire to lay at the beach their whole summer. It was an adventure and a trip filled by curiosity and learning everything I desired. Believe me when I say you will hear more of my amazing trip in the weeks to come. Ciao fellow art lovers, I’m excited for next week’s appointment!