Visual art in Rwanda continues to show positive signs of growth this year. Just a week after Olivier Kwitonda and a dozen other artists re-established Yego Art Centre and Gallery in Kimihurura, last Saturday, Timothy Wandulu opened a new art gallery in Kacyiru, a Kigali suburb.

Concept Arts Studio is the newest addition to the burgeoning art galleries that now blotch every corner of Kacyiru. Kacyiru has now established itself as the city’s arts heart, owing to a high number of galleries and art centres found there.

On Saturday, various artists from different art centres, art lovers, tourists and expatriates converged at the gallery, which the founder said is a culmination of the hard work he has put through his artistic passion and his long cherished dreams of founding his own art gallery.

Wandulu displayed on the walls some of his unique past paintings and installation art that he’d produced over the past few years.

Prominently displayed was the portrait of the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, that the artist used in October last year during his exhibition dubbed "Women in Pink” to help in the fight against breast cancer.

"Think of Us Being Trees,” a painting that Wandulu says is one of his favourites, shows a group of people standing solemnly and helplessly as a man cuts down green trees.

"The theme of the painting is that we should always care about environmental conservation and be aware that cutting down trees has devastating environmental consequences,” said the multifaceted artist.

Wandulu said that he was excited to achieve the dreams of establishing his own studio, adding that as an artist, it’s always ideal to operate independently.

"Originally this was my home studio and after careful thought, I came up with the idea to transform it into a gallery since the space was enough to accommodate this,” he said.

However, he was quick to add that the paintings that he makes in this home studio, and now his gallery, are also being displayed in other galleries around Kigali.

Godfrey Kalungi, an established artist and arts teacher welcomed the new gallery, saying that this is what the artists should strive to do to drive their passion forward.

Kalungi observed that Kacyiru is establishing itself as the heart of the art industry in Rwanda because of its strategic location. Several embassies and organisations are located here, and this is particularly significant since several expatriates can easily access these art galleries.

"The opening of new galleries portrays the growth of the art industry in Rwanda. This is also a good opportunity for the artist to market his pieces to attract more clients,” said Kalungi.

"Competition is needed to push the industry forward. This is going to make other artists work harder and realise their dreams,” observed Jean Marie Vianney Munezero, an Ivuka Art Centre artist, also based in Kacyiru.

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