AS FAR as art is concerned in Rwanda, it is believed that women are yet to get fully involved. A spot check around art galleries and centres in Kigali shows that women are conspicuously absent from the art business. However, there are a number of women who have pursued their passion in art.

One of them is Jemima Kakizi. The first thing that impresses and fascinates you when you see Jemima’s paintings is how she manages to breathe life into her artwork. They are vividly alive, surreal and capture nature in its pristine form. Jemima says that though she didn’t study art at school, her passion and adventure into art is something that came to her naturally while she was still young. 

A marketing student at Mt. Kenya University, Jemima is also making a name for herself in the fashion industry which combined with art and studying have all taken centre stage in her daily busy schedule.

"I first got interested in art when I was in primary school. I remember my love and passion for drawing dolls.”  However, Jemima says that when she joined high school, she didn’t immerse herself into art so much since she was still gaining experience from established artists in the industry.

"I felt that in order to harness my skills and become a complete product as far as arts is concerned, I had to learn from my seniors. And the fact that I was also studying at the time made it hard for me to solely concentrate on art.

Jemima decries how art is not seriously taken as a profession in Rwanda, citing that even in schools; it’s not given much thought although it is among certain areas that people can actually earn a living.

"In other countries, art is taught as a subject from primary school level and people get to develop young children’s skills. Other than developing their skills, it can be an opportunity for people to discover what they are capable of doing. 

We don’t have such programmes in our curriculum and I feel it is an area curriculum developers should give much thought,” she says.

Jemima says that she normally exhibits her art in different galleries in Kigali and at exhibitions that they often organise not only to sell their pieces but also to market themselves.

Jemima’s art is inspired by nature; trying to make images based on reality and looking straight into a natural object when she wants to paint it. "When I want to paint, for example, an image of a cow, I normally look for a cow and draw an image from it. My art is the realism kind where I depict whatever I have seen.”

In regard to making a living from her drawings, Jemima says she cannot quantify what she makes from art because it depends on the customers she gets which is not everyday. 

"The problem with art here is that Rwandans themselves still don’t know the value of art. Majority of them don’t show interest in art, even if we manage to paint the most beautiful of art pieces.”

She thinks the disinterest people have in art is the reason a number of talented artists have steered clear of the profession. "We (artists) who are actively involved in art as a profession do it because we believe that we should be at the forefront of changing people’s perception about visual art. With time, we hope that things are going to change and Rwandans themselves will eventually value the beautiful pieces that we make.”

As for what determines the price of her art pieces, Jemima says that it depends on the size, beauty and idea behind the art piece. There is no standard price.  

For such a talented and experienced artist, Jemima had a word of advice to offer to young upcoming artists. "If you have passion for art, don’t surrender. We are all talented in different ways, so artists should be passionate about their talent and work hard.  

Lastly, I encourage them to seek training from established artists if we are to have a generation of well-groomed artists in Rwanda.”