Uwase’s art addresses race, gender issues

Crista Uwase’s artistic signature is collage and water colours. “Collage is the technique I use. Water colors are for fun and relaxation,” she explains; “Collage is the assemblage of different objects to create a single image. The kind of collage that I do is paper collage; I use magazines, maps, posters by tearing them into bits, then paste them onto canvas to create something new. I like the technique, it’s challenging and gives a lot of opportunities because there are no rules.” But there is an even deeper cultural streak to her art works. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and her pieces are no exception. The mantra of ‘black is beautiful’ is what immediately comes to mind when one delves into her art world. Uwase’s works seek to celebrate the black skin and blackness in general, and the black woman in particular. In a recent Facebook post, she attached one of her collection of portraits of beautiful black women, and followed it with a stern disclaimer; “When I created these collages with black face figures, I wanted to know what people’s reactions were. I wanted to know how Rwandans felt, what they thought... but most would ask, “why are they black?” I would tell them that my works celebrate blackness and African women. Some were like I hate these works, some would ask me, do you think white people are going to buy them???” The message got many people talking. Black is beautiful “In art, often you are warned about the colour black; it’s difficult to use; it messes up everything; so you find there is an absence somewhere of this color. But this is not the issue,” she explains later in this interview. “Here in Rwanda, black figures are rare in art. No one wants to talk about the black skin, some are afraid of black figures, which I think is an identity issue due to colourism and racism. We are ashamed of this skin we are in, we are ashamed of painting it the way it is. If you look at most portraits, they have lighter tones, should we say that artists haven’t been taught how to mix colors to make tones of the black skin?” Her works seek to challenge and address these very issues regarding the black skin. “In my work I celebrate black women, I want to keep women in the centre...women have been deeply affected by notions put forward about the black skin, they suffer from self hate, they are insecure, the black skin is a curse, it is a cloth of shame … “Men too suffer the same. But do we know why? We have been born in a state of confusion that we have failed to understand. You are born hearing curses of the black skin, misfortunes caused by it, in schools light skinned children would get more privileges, light skinned children are loved more and held by everyone,... but I was born in a family where such things didn’t exist,” she says. Uwase was lucky to have been born in relative diversity –to a light-skinned father and dark-skinned mother. “My father is so light skinned but he always said he loved dark-skinned children, maybe it’s why he married my mother. “I started knowing skin issues when I began school, but I didn’t understand much since I wasn’t exposed to some histories, but by the age of 11, I was starting to dislike this favoring based on white, Arab, Asian or light/fair skin at school. But then I couldn’t talk about it...I also remember in my high school, girls formed a group because they were light skinned...haha … “There are other things I always witnessed; young girls are always misled because they are light, they are flattered, the following day they are in trouble... I didn’t like these things... I used to discuss with my father about so many things, we shared this love for books, so I always found ways to start a conversation with him and he always explained. I remember asking something about light, and why hospitals are painted white...he explained to me the effect of color and light to our eyes and body. Then he said “but black is beautiful”. Then we talked about the black skin, we talked about Marcus Garvey, we talked about why Africa is primitive, he told me about black writers, especially women, he always gave me exercises to look for writers, pan Africanists,” she says. Art for all I remind her that, most Africans still consider art a preserve for white people to consume and indulge in anyway. And does she not get misunderstood sometimes? “The people who consider it that way are the ones who don’t know their culture, their heritage, their identity and the value of art or artifacts,” she counters. “I am always told white people love art, why don’t you take it here and here, there are so many white people! I don’t create tourist art or make it for white people! No, it’s for Africans, it’s for Rwandans to appreciate, it’s to educate Rwandans, it is to preserve culture, it is for us. So much has been looted from Africa up to today we don’t know the value of what has been stolen from us. We don’t care! And we love singing and praising our culture but we don’t even know what culture is!” She admits that every now and then, she is misunderstood; “The moment I talk about history or the black skin it always ends in a negative way. But truth is we are afraid of our pasts which will never leave us until we face them. We have failed to give our art value, almost everything has little value to some Africans. But if we hear that the white man has touched it, we give it value! How stupid! Art wasn’t created for white people! It is for everyone, it plays a vital role in society. White people love art because they know the value but artists should not be driven to create because of this.” I ask her if it’s possible that Africans do not buy art simply because they are poor and, therefore, lack disposable income to spend on secondary needs like art. Still, she begs to differ; “Hmm! I don’t think so, we are rich, and the richest of all is the creator, the artist. Africans are not poor, they have just thrown away the value of things. If talent is not important how can the product from it be valuable? If we don’t have schools that promote talents, how can people even know about the fruits? How can they enjoy them when they don’t know the trees that bear them? So it’s mental poverty that we have, the poor education system and this throwing away of our precious cultures. Look at people who have refused to give up their cultures, they have their art, their music, are they among these poor Africans? Someone else will say they are poor because they have refused to modernize...” Uwase describes art as her “other eye, voice”, a “fifth dimension”. Interestingly, she studied accounting, not art. “I wasn’t taught by anyone but I did observe how artists worked, I experimented... I didn’t attend any art school!!” she exclaims: In high school, she ditched sciences in favor of humanities; “This exposed me to histories that I think I wouldn’t have known about. I remember studying about Hegel, this philosopher who divided Africa, calling Africans and Jews dogs.” Last but not least, I ask where one can find her art works; “No where. Galleries have failed to promote artists and take care of their works.” How does she market her art then? “I’d rather not tell, though the answer is simple!”

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Uwase’s art addresses race, gender issues