Contemporary artist Xenson makes his debut at Nairobi’s Institute of Contemporary Art with his very first solo exhibition entitled “Olidde Mupipa“. This exclusive exhibition, which runs until July 13, 2024, offers art lovers a unique opportunity to delve into the creativity of this Ugandan artist. Presenting six previously unseen works, Xenson once again reveals the depth of his artistic talent.
Xenson, whose real name is Samson Ssenkaaba, is a multimedia artist based in Kampala. A graduate of Makerere University’s Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts in 2000, he explores his creativity through a variety of artistic media. From performance to fashion, sculpture, installation, poetry and painting, this African artist addresses themes such as identity, consumption and the global circulation of culture in a contemporary dystopian post-colonial context.
With the visual central to Xenson’s artistic appeal, he deftly plays with a soft aesthetic of bright colors and striking graphic patterns, captivating his audience’s attention. This approach enables a fluid identification of the subjects of his works, offering a visual narrative that resonates with the diversity of contemporary culture.
In his work, Xenson uses found and recycled materials in harmony with his environment, integrating global concerns about humanity’s impact on nature. Her use of organic and natural materials, such as bark cloth, is influenced by her upbringing and childhood memories. This commitment to preserving indigenous knowledge and expression while adapting it to a contemporary aesthetic is evident in her work.
Xenson’s “Olidde Mupipa” exhibition explores the richness of objects, materials and the cultural narratives that accompany them through sculptures and installations. The artist asserts, “Whatever I create, it all starts from these objects and the way they tell a story, from Uganda to Kenya, from East Africa, then opening up to other sensibilities of the world.”
The title “Olidde Mupipa” comes from the Ugandan expression meaning “you ate from the barrel (the garbage can)“, evoking the idea of arriving too late for something and having to make do with the leftovers. The expression refers to the steel drums used to store liquids, often reused for a variety of purposes, including waste storage. Xenson incorporates these steel drums and their derivatives as painting supports and basic elements for his sculptures and installations in this exhibition.
Xenson has long been captivated by the power of language to preserve and transmit cultural experiences. This fascination is reflected in the way he interacts with various objects, which he uses to express ideas and emotions. His sculptures and installations presented at “Olidde Mupipa” are created from simple objects such as coal stoves and steel drums. By reshaping them, he transforms them into works of art that highlight their unique physical and aesthetic aspects.
Although Xenson revisits the original function of these objects, he does not lose sight of their everyday use, which is essential to his artistic approach. This approach enables him to explore the past of these objects in the local, regional and global contexts of production, distribution and consumption.
As founder of Xenson Art Space in Kamwokya, Kampala, Xenson strives to support the next generation of artists by offering them a space to exhibit their work. His work has been shown in many prestigious galleries, such as Amasaka Gallery, Uganda (2023), Afriart Gallery in Uganda (2022), the International Biennial of Sculpture of Ouagadougou BISO (2019), and other renowned galleries around the world.