Situated in a tranquil neighbourhood in Musanze District, Two Fires Photo Gallery displays pictures with unfolding stories told in several perspectives.

On its walls, leans a photo of a living saint, Boniface Mudenge, portrayed for his tireless work with reconciliation in communities near and around Mudende, Musanze. Another is a photo of a couple, whose portrait depicted struggles and successes they are going through as a family living on an island.

These are among other photos that are on display in the art gallery. Gadi Habumugisha, a documentary photographer and co-founder of the art gallery, explains that the gallery is dedicated to telling stories and exhibiting works of emerging East African photographers, as well as those of local community members.

Uwitonze posing next to one of his showcased photographs. 

He says the gallery provides not only physical space for photographers to share their work with national and international guests, but also serves as a platform to hear their stories. 

It will also have a dedicated space to exhibit the works of individuals participating in future photography and digital storytelling workshops. In turn, the international audience will gain a better understanding of Rwanda through its people in an authentic and respectful way, Habumugisha notes.

Habumugisha is the co-founder of the photo gallery. /Courtesy

At the gallery, tourists among other visitors who go to Musanze, also have a chance to connect with the community around.

Its location in the tourism-rich Musanze will hopefully add a new dimension to the area’s tourism offerings while giving back at the community level, the photographer says.

Mussa Uwitonze, a photographer exhibiting his work at the gallery, says the gallery is a platform to showcase their work as photographers.

"We always need space to showcase our work. The theme for the exhibition is about reconciliation. We need people to know and learn about it, I think it’s nice to share with the world,” he says.

Uwitonze says their gallery will have a niche for displaying humanitarian stories that inspire others.

First exhibition

Two Fires Photo Gallery officially opened its doors to the public earlier this month. That’s when it held its first open house for travel industry partners and other special guests.

Among the photos on display, Habumugisha says a photo of Etienne Gasenge stands out the most. He was a perpetrator in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.  He confessed, asked for forgiveness and served his sentence, and in the photo, he is sharing with the community, a sign of how he was integrated and accepted back into the community.

A photo of kids playing and having a good time together. 

For Uwitonze, it’s the photo of the kids playing and having a good time together that stands out. He says such peace and joy displayed on their faces shows hope for a new generation in Rwanda. 

"I grew up frightened because of what was done in 1994. But in this photo you see kids smiling and you see that this is a new generation that didn’t experience what happened, it represents hope.”

These exhibits will be on display until the end of the year allowing ample time for both Musanze and international community a chance to absorb the displayed stories.

The notion is to create space for photographers to exhibit and tell stories and to generate funds from visitors which will in turn be reinvested in photography grant programs.

Etienne Gasenge’s photo being intergrated back in society. Photos/Donah Mbabazi

"The idea is two-fold; one is to dedicate the presentation, discovery, recognition, and international exchange of Rwandan photographers; and the other is to sponsor community-based photography and digital storytelling workshops.”

Habumugisha says the feedback from the exhibition has been very encouraging and inspiring towards the stories themselves and the larger scope of the gallery. 

"We need time to collect funding for the next round of photographers to work on a story they or someone else wishes to photograph and share. Beautiful photos are great, but it’s when they are put together that they are able to reflect a message. That’s why we are most interested in exhibiting.”