Rukundo on his childhood love for visual arts

Contemporary art is on the rise in Rwanda - thanks to the mushrooming number of art galleries and centres across the country. This has equally come with a crop of talented artists like Jean-Baptiste Rukundo, one of the country’s most sought-after visual artists. He has been an art lover since childhood, and started practicing professional visual art in 2011, after graduating from Nyundo School of Art and Music located in the Western province. “After school, I started working with different professional artists who inspired me to hone my skills and how to become the best I can be,” said Rukundo. The solo artist finds his inspiration in the challenges of everyday life. But like many upcoming artists, the beginning was tough for Rukundo, especially finding the means to buy necessary materials to paint since most of them are not available locally. However, that has since changed. Since he joined Ivuka Arts in 2012, he has been able to sell his work, and thus earn a well deserved income to keep on doing what he is passionate about. Some of Rukundos work. Rukundo’s paintings invite the viewers to attribute their own interpretation to his deeply personal explorations. The former street vendor said that everyone gets inspiration through their own everyday life - and for him, growing up in difficult situations encouraged him to work hard to pursue his goal and inspire others. Rukundo wants to be a famous artist one day, whose art will be remembered not only for its beauty, but also for the awareness it raised and the positive changes it brought along the way. He also intends to organise free workshops that will offer young people, especially vulnerable children, the platform to express their talents in art.

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Rukundo on his childhood love for visual arts