Binamungu turns a rough patch into paradise for artists

There is a rugged terrain of road past Masaka shopping centre going west. I arrive at Masaka market and ask a motorcyclist to take me to Inzanga Arts Studio where I meet my host, Epa Binamungu at the gate. He’s conducting another guest on a tour of the farm, showing him this artistic paradise. I join them in walking the vast farmland and what strikes me most is how he has managed to blend nature and art. There is a tall hutch he has build for doves. It is sight to behold; seeing them fly in and out of the structure. Their cooing brings some musical ambience to the farm. There’s also a tall tree where you can watch weaverbirds fly in and out, building their nests. You know from the excited birds that the harvest season is just around the corner, and their chirping brings a natural ambience to the farm. Three cows are resting in the shade, chewing cuds as they rest on their full bellies that cool evening. Binamungu tells me that he just loves nature, and I try to figure out if his is a Bohemian trait inherent in many artists. Where did you get an inspiration to turn this rough patch of land into such heavenly paradise? I ask him. Walking around this beautiful and idyllic farmland transports you into another world, a retreat deep into the nature itself. You forget about the hustle and bustle of the city life and even the rough terrain you have just traveled through, and another world beckons here. I really want to know about this man who has managed to have a Midas touch with nature, turning the rough land into such an ethereal paradise. “When I was eight, my father showed me how to write. However, I knew from that moment that writing was not my forte, and I told him not to teach me how to write but how to draw,” Binamungu said. He says that some of the words that his father tried to teach him to write such as Inka (cow) proved to be so difficult that he gave up. However, he could draw beautiful figures and his journey into arts was thus born when he was just still a little child. However, his father was very concerned about his future, telling him that arts had no future. “He tried all means possible to dissuade and discourage me from arts, since to him, it had no future. But my love for arts proved to be unquenchable.” His teachers too encouraged him to follow his passion. We continue walking through the farm, and each moment brings some new insight, something refreshing. He takes me into a traditional house and this is just amazing, this icon is just striking. First, the coolness inside the house is simply refreshing. I was sweating before but when I entered the house, it’s like it has a natural cooler. “This house is called Inspiration House. This is where I get my inspiration when I want to create a thing. I just come here and something beautiful strikes my mind.” He says that he designed and planned the beautiful house on his own, something that just came into his mind. “My mind travels into another realm, another space when I’m in this house. This is a place I rest and relax. This is where I escape when I need to have a peace of mind,” he adds. I notice that this house is different from many I have seen. The traditional touch of this house is just breathtaking. There are some six traditional stools that visitors who come here perch themselves on, and overlooking the floor are beautiful pieces of artworks that Binamungu has fashioned. The artworks are resting on a beautifully decorated table. The floor is covered by beautifully decorated traditional mats. Besides it is a TV set. This is the only modern item here. There’s also a fridge positioned at the entrance of the house, and I ask him why bring in both modern items in this traditional house. “We are living in a modern world, where cultural synthesis is the norm. I’m not a traditionalist per se because we also have to enjoy modern amenities of life.” I engage Binamungu on his life, about his inspiration, about the weaverbirds and the doves and the natural aura of this farmland. I had seen before that the place has all the hallmarks of nature. If it’s fruits, there are in abundance: Bananas, apples, mangoes, passion fruits and name it. There are pumpkins and there are traditional vegetables. “A dove is a symbol of peace and love. What the society needs is peace and love. When I see my doves, I see and experience inner peace and inner love.” What about the weaverbirds, do they not bring some sort of disorder into his mind, with their ceaseless noise as they fly in and out of the tree? No, on the contrary, Binamungu tells me that birds are symbolic of what is beautiful in nature, and their music brings some beauty in his mind when he’s creating something. “I love nature, that’s why I want to surround myself with all that nature has to provide. I like the beautiful voices of the birds, singing from dawn to dusk.” But is this a house he just comes to relax into? Binamungu stands up and I see him heading to the wall. He parts the curtains adorning the walls and to my surprise, I see a beautifully made bed. This is quite amazing. When you enter the house, the last thing you can imagine is that there’s another concealed room, and the exposure of the bed not only surprises me but amazes me. “When I told you that this is a place I come to relax and have my peace of mind, I exactly meant that. This is not just a place I retreat into the day, but where I have a good rest in the night.” What about his art. Why did he shift to this place, away from Kigali where his clients can have easy access to him? “I wanted to have a place where I can invite all artists to come and just fashion something in the middle of a natural settings.” He says that when artists work in a natural environment full of serenity and ambience, they are able to produce great pieces of artwork, inspired by nature. “This is a place a number of artists retreat to and have some inspiration. Many great pieces of artwork have been produced from this place by my fellow artists.” “I needed to be different, to create something different. I wanted to reconnect with my past. This house is a symbol of the past, the traditional Rwanda where people existed freely with nature, where people did not have conflicts with their natural environment. This is a place I manage to achieve my dreams as an artist.” And has arts made him achieve his dreams in life? Binamungu is a person that needs no introduction in the arts industry. He has traveled extensively and exhibited his pieces in a number of countries. Besides, he tells me that art has made him have the basic necessities of life. He feels contented with arts. “I managed to purchase this farm just from selling art pieces. I have had a contented life through arts.” Binamungu refutes the popular belief that there is no pay in arts, urging upcoming and young talented artists to take arts just like any other profession since that’s where they have talent. “If I had followed the dreams of my father, I couldn’t have managed to pursue my own dreams and that’s a thing I would have regretted later in my life. I managed to follow my own dreams and that gives me contentment and fulfillment in life.” Binamungu says that artists should be agents of peace and safe keepers of the country’s natural heritage. “Every moment of my life, I think about Rwanda, my beloved country. It’s through my artwork that I want to safeguard the rich heritage of my country. My country has a beautiful cultural heritage that should be preserved for the benefits of posterity.”