A man looks at the Jajja Iculi art piece. PHOTO/ANDREW KAGGWA
An art exhibition at Xenson Art Space has illuminated the role of gossip in the fabric of Ugandan society. The Olugambo or gossip exhibition got underway on October 14 and is the handiwork of Dr Lilian Nabulime.
Using both wood sculpture and terracotta mediums, Dr Nabulime uses the exhibition to challenge many narratives around gossip. On display are some of her biggest terracotta works.
Through her larger terracotta works, she aims to explore the power dynamics and social dynamics that gossip creates within spaces where it thrives. These include, to mention but two, intimate settings like homes and social environments like bars.
Dr Nabulime also examines the role of talk in both society and information dissemination. With each piece, she for instance teases out a number of pertinent questions.
The questions mostly pivot around establishing whether gossip is a pastime or commentary on current affairs. Others ponder whether it is a means of bonding or a tool for manipulation.
While no easy answers are to be expected, by delving into these questions, Dr Nabulime prompts viewers to critically reflect on the complexities and implications of gossip in our daily lives. She consequently uses many mediums to present gossip in ways that are not complex well knowing that her body of work is open to interpretation. With smaller terracotta versions, she has figures whose main features are the exaggerated lips.
“As we were growing up, especially in communities, people would gossip about others without even saying a thing but pointing at you with their lips; most of the sculptures are like that,” a viewer at the exhibition noted.
Read more: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/reviews-profiles/art-exhibition-immortalises-slain-vlogger-isma-olaxess-4423806