25-year-old Gilbert Iradukunda is a rising visual artist doing figurative art. He got acquainted with the craft at the age of nine, making simple sketches in his drawing book, having been inspired by Laurent Hategekimana, a professional sculptor in Kigali who also happened to be a family friend. He later joined Nyundo School of Arts in 2011 to nurture his talent.

"When I was in primary school, I used to spend most of my time at Hategekimana’s studio, watching him do his art pieces. I fell in love with art and started to draw. Impressed by my drawings, he introduced me to Nyundo School of Arts,’’ he says.

Having harboured a dream to be self-employed, Iradukunda launched himself in the career in 2015, one year after graduating at Nyundo, and is now making a living from his skills.

"I was passionate and ready to join the creative industry. I wanted to make something that is unique. I enjoyed doing arts, so I decided to engage myself in this career,” he tells Weekender. 

Asked about the style he uses to craft his art pieces, the artist reveals that it is ‘figurative art’, which is a technique that describes any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world and particularly to the human figure. It is based on showing recognisable human figures or shapes.

"One thing I love about art is that it helps me to express myself. I fell for figurative art because through figures, everyone gets the message easily. When we say figurative, you probably understand the word ‘figure’ and a human figure can be expressed in different forms. It is not necessary to keep it in realistic form,” he says.

The artist adds that he engaged in figurative arts as a way to spread a positive message to the world.

"I consider myself a storyteller, and that is the main reason I am doing arts. I paint mainly memories, spreading a message of love, healing and resilience. I also paint what I see in the beauty of nature and African culture,” he notes.

When it comes to arts, Iradukunda doesn’t limit himself. He also does mural paintings, a style that involves big drawings which are painted to spread a specific message.

So far, the artiste has attended a couple of different exhibitions including ‘Youthconneckt Africa summit’ in 2019, ‘Iwacu Nyumbani’, ‘My art for you’ in 2017, ‘Kivu Nuru Arts RDC’ in 2014, and ‘Kwita Izina Arts Exhibition’ in 2016.

All these exhibitions, he says, left him with a great experience.

"I met with some of the most established artists across the world. They shared with me ways I can boost my creativity, ways I can make a living out of my talent, and also ways I can make my community fall in love with the art I am doing,” he says.

However, like all the other artists, Iradukunda has faced challenges, one of which is the shortage of fabric, and many people who are not yet aware of the value of art, mostly his art pieces.

Regarding his plans, Iradukunda reveals that he aspires to become bigger in his craft so that he offers more job opportunities. He is currently trying out digital ways of doing his craft.

He also reveals that he is planning what he hopes will be his biggest achievement, a solo exhibition scheduled for December.