Niyomugabo: Market is Rwandan artist's canvas of realism

By Pauline Odhiambo

The search for creative inspiration is often akin to filling a metaphorical shopping cart with slices of life bubbling under the surface of everyday existence.

For Rwandan artist Benjamin Niyomugabo, the marketplace is his new muse.

In the hurly-burly of Kigali's bustling Mutangana market, he sees life play out in many shades of opportunity, hope, resilience, success and struggle.

Each stall, every vendor, and the seemingly unending stream of people flitting in and out of the market find a place in his palette of experience and observation.

Niyomugabo's goal is to elevate the ordinary to his canvas of artistic interpretation, creating a work of art that pulsates with reality, yet provides a new perspective.

One of his recent paintings, titled "Bike Brothers", was inspired by a brief but illuminating glimpse into the lives of those whose lives and livelihoods revolve around the marketplace.

"Some of the vendors I meet are quite open about sharing their stories of everyday life in the marketplace," the 23-year-old artist tells TRT Afrika.

"Their work ethic is humbling and inspiring, and I want my art to reflect that."

The title came from the most popular form of transport for the vendors in Mutangana and other markets within the city. Most of them use bicycles to transport food items and other goods to and from the marketplace.

Genuine connections

Niyomugabo's rules of engagement with the vendors is based on the first principle of trust.

He respects their view, and they support his artistic vision, seeing their lives in tandem with his contemporary realism style.

According to the platform Art Story, contemporary realism is a style of painting that came into existence in the 1960s and early 1970s.

The style focuses on a straightforward, objective representation of life beyond modernist abstraction and encompasses all post-1970 sculptors and painters whose discipline is representational art. The aim is to portray the "real" and not the "ideal".

"Many market workers took time out from their daily tasks to have genuine conversations with me and share their stories," Niyomugabo tells TRT Afrika. "My intent was always to depict their reality on canvas."

Strength meets beauty

Many of Niyomugabo's paintings feature women, their stories, and the innate strength with which they navigate through life's struggles.

"Painting women is an honourable duty because they have the power to bring so much joy and happiness to everyone around them," he says.

The Kigali-based artist also enjoys creating pieces that celebrate the beauty of black skin.

His creative process often involves meditation, which helps him bring out the emotive aspects of his art.

"My works always reveal the emotional aspect because I express my true feelings when doing art," he says.

"The meditative process helps me come up with different ideas, which I sketch before picking out the colour scheme."

Inspiring generations

Several of Niyomugabo's works of art have been snapped up by collectors or showcased at exhibitions.

He has worked with reputable galleries, including Mitochondria in Houston, Texas, and Fortysecond Space in Rwanda.

He credits his career growth to "staying teachable" and constantly learning from the artistic styles of other painters.

"I draw inspiration from the greats like Vincent van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci, and many others," he tells TRT Afrika. "I want to create art that will inspire generations."

Niyomugabo's advice to aspiring artists is as straightforward as his worldview. "If you love making art, keep doing it and stay consistent. Follow your spirit's lead and create," he says.

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