My art is an expression of my inner feelings, an interpretation of my experiences and those of others. It is a celebration of the talent bestowed upon me by the grace of God because I did not attend a formal art school. It is informed and inspired by my cultural heritage and the vast experience I have gained through extensive travel around the world.
After critical study and observance of shadows, I am able to artistically capture and portray successfully movements and emotions of my chosen subjects. As a social and cultural commentator, I endeavor to paint in such a way that those with feelings may be touched. Hence the widely accepted description of my art by critics and collectors as: ‘The Art That Touches The Heart’
Below is a poem I composed in 1997 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on the eve of my art exhibit to mark the Grand opening of Gems Of Africa Fine Art & Sculpture Gallery . I intended to address the frequently asked question about me and my art and how long it takes me to complete a work of art.
“Art is like a child” – Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi
It is conceived
It grows in you
It is craved by many
Sometimes you know not
when you conceive it
Sometimes you dread its presence
Yet you cannot conceal the bulge
Sometimes you want the world
to know what is inside you
Sometimes you are too confused
Sometimes you wonder
how it will look like when it comes out
Sometimes you want it terminated
Sometimes you are anxious to have it
Sometimes the onlookers embarrass you
If you force it out
It is an abortion
If you induce it
It will be a pre-mature birth
If you leave it there for too long
It will be a still- born
If you get too excited
You will suffer a miscarriage
When you display signs
of an expectant mother
You are branded an introvert,
eccentric, weird, name it
Yet, at delivery time
It is only you to experience
the agony of labour pains
Quite alien to anyone
Who has never given birth before
But when it finally comes out
It becomes everyone’s business
Some will congratulate you
Others will condemn you
Some will praise it
Others will pour scorn on it
Some will cherish it
Others will chastise it
Some will love it
Others will loathe it
Some will wish to display it
Others will wish to dispose of it
Some will host it
Others will hate it
Some will touch it
Others will tear it
Some will value it
Others will vandalize it
Some will crave it
Others will criticize it
Some will notice it
Others will ignore it
Some will discuss it
Others will discard it
Some will adore it
Others will abhor it
Some will use it
Others will abuse it
Some will aver it
Others will avoid it
But, everyone will have something
to feel and or say about it
Just as they do with newly-born ones
Oh, how a work of art is just like a baby
Over to you.
©1997 Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi
