Donald Wasswa (Ugandan, born 1984)
Namata, 2018
Unsigned
Albizia and ebony, with copper eyelets
40 x 19 x 26 cm
Ksh 220,000–440,000
(US$ 2,000–4,000)
Sold Ksh 446,120
Provenance: direct from the artist
Namata is a recent addition to Donald Wasswa’s pantheon of peculiar, animalistic creatures. The three-eyed creation, the third eye located on what appears to be its hindquarters, continues a series of sculptural experiments by Wasswa, which grow from a preoccupation with evolution, and the effects of scientific and technological advancement on the make-up of human beings and their surroundings. Working primarily with indigenous Ugandan hardwoods, in this case ebony and mugavu (albizia), Wasswa’s sculptures are speculations on the habitation of human and non-human animals in undesirable environments, transformation being the only constant in their evolution.
A multidisciplinary artist, Wasswa studied Sculpture at Kyambogo University. His practice has evolved to encompass sculpture, painting and performance. He was the 2016 recipient of the merit award in the Absa L’Atelier competition. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Uganda and abroad, including: Zikunta, Kampala, 2016; To Live is to Become, Afriart Gallery, Kampala, 2017; Degenerative Evolution of the Living, Absa Art Gallery, Johannesburg. Wasswa is currently based in Kampala where he is the founder/proprietor of Artpunch Studio.