It was a cool and calm evening in Kigali on this particular Saturday evening. With great anticipation, for what lay ahead, art admirers headed for Heaven Restaurant in Kiyovu because a local painting artist was having his first solo exhibition.

The restaurant walls and exhibition room were covered with 38 of his colourful paintings. Art lovers slowly walked individually and in pairs as they scrutinized the paintings on the walls.

Some looked intrigued by them, others seemed lost in the paintings, some looked like they were trying to figure out what they were looking while others explained what they were seeing.

With a reasonably average crowd, it did not take long before anyone noticed Jean Bosco Bakunzi, the artist, standing in the exhibition room with admirers. 

Clad in a brown ‘Quadra’ jacket, chocolate T-shirt with cream artistic print, blue jeans and leather brown and black shoes, Bakunzi’s artistic look was complete. The 23 year-old, dark skinned Rwandan artist with spiky hair was enthusiastic about pulling off his solo art exhibition.

"I feel so great because this is a dream I have carried for a long time,” he said excitedly.

According to Bakunzi, it took months of preparations. With help from Ivuka Art Studio, which he joined over a year ago, he was able, through the support of fellow painters to pull off his solo exhibition. His paintings are on display for two weeks.

"This is a very important achievement for me and other painters too because Rwandan art is not yet popular and we want to take it to greater heights,” he said.

Bakunzi whose style is ‘Cubism’ (paintings against squared backgrounds on canvas) said he specializes in the ‘Semi-Abstract’ and ‘Realism’ medium of paintings.

He says, his favourite painting is called, ‘My Dream’- a painting of five faces carrying fruits on their heads. He goes ahead to explain the meaning of the painting.

"The faces represent the unity between people working together to achieve a dream while the fruits are the achievements of their work; in this case paintings are the fruits for we artists.”

Anyone who closely observes Bakunzi’s paintings will notice that most of them are a combination of crowds in market places and busy streets or of the African woman.

Since he started painting professionally, Bakunzi says the art industry is on a slow trail. This he attributed to the fact that many Rwandans do not understand the quality and significance of their culture yet it is one of the richest cultures in the world.

Other than this, he said many young painters have a challenge of acquiring painting materials. These he said, are often got from overseas or from neighbouring countries because Rwanda does not manufacture them.

Despite all these challenges, the young artist has gone against all odds to advocate for the Rwandan culture by encouraging its development in younger talent. This he does by teaching orphans how to draw and paint at Gisimba Memorial Centre every Saturday.Being an orphan of the 1994 G

enocide, Bakunzi said painting has played an important role in his healing process.

"Over the years I have turned to painting as a remedy for my mind and it has helped me,” he said, "…in the same way it can help children with trauma to find peace of mind and appreciate who they are as they develop their talents as young Rwandan artists.”

More still, painting has been a stepping stone for his survival. Money got from selling his paintings, is what he uses to support his siblings (three sisters and two brothers) at their home in Nyamirambo.

With such talent the young artists holds onto his vision of becoming an international painter as he continues to encourage younger Rwandans to love painting and arts since it is part of the country’s culture.

Contact: anyglorian@yahoo.com