Presented by:
UNDER GROUND Contemporary Art Kampala & Vodo Arts Society & Lab
Venue: Busia Youth Centre, Abisayi Rd., Busia Municipality
Dates: August 6–30, 2024
Opening Reception: August 10, 2024
Hours: 10 AM – 6 PM
Exhibition Overview
After a 17-year hiatus (2004–2021), Ugandan modernist master Buluma Ochungo Mordecai (b. 1934) makes a powerful return with BULUMA AMAKOWOLA! (The Return), a landmark exhibition curated by Nantume Violet. This showcase unveils a stunning new body of work that revitalizes Buluma’s artistic legacy, blending folklore, proverbs, and the mystical traditions of the Samia-Bugwe people with contemporary visual storytelling.
More than just a retrospective, the exhibition frames Buluma’s resurgence as an Abiku-like rebirth—a reference to the Yoruba concept of a child destined to die and return, symbolizing resilience and the cyclical nature of creation. His works challenge power structures, subverting moral and religious dogmas through satirical animal-human hybrids, pastel surrealism, and mythic narratives.
The exhibition draws inspiration from the West African trope of “The Witches’ Twine”—an invisible thread connecting the living, ancestors, and spirits. Buluma’s art functions much like this twine, intertwining past, present, and future through mythic narratives, proverbial wisdom, and cultural reclamation. His animal allegories and anthropomorphic tales echo the literary traditions of Wole Soyinka and Amos Tutuola, while his paintings, rich with oral traditions from Samia-Lugwe and Swahili cultures, serve as visual anecdotes and moral guides. As theorized by Jacques Rancière, his work disrupts conventional power structures by merging satire with spirituality, creating a space where folklore becomes a tool for resistance.
A foundational figure in Ugandan modern art, Buluma trained at Makerere Art School under Cecil Todd and Margaret Trowell, later studying at Mount Allison University in Canada. His illustrious career spans cultural leadership as an advisor to the Samia-Bugwe Kingdom and author of children’s books like Cheche the Monster, pedagogy as an art teacher and curriculum developer, and global recognition with exhibitions at the Smithsonian and Commonwealth Institute in the 1960s. At 90 years old, his return is not just a revival—it’s a reaffirmation of his enduring influence.
Curator Nantume Violet of UNDER GROUND Kampala describes Buluma’s work as a “portal” between the mundane and the mythic. The exhibition merges visual art, literature, and performance while collaborating with Vodo Art Society to integrate local voices. It also highlights Buluma’s contributions to Ugandan cultural preservation from the 1960s to the 1980s, offering a transdisciplinary dialogue that bridges generations.
Critics and visitors have hailed Buluma’s return as a “fresh harvest of art,” a testament to the resilience of African modernist traditions. His works, described as “visual poetry,” invite viewers to engage with themes of colonial legacies, ecological fragility, and identity fluidity. The exhibition’s brilliance lies in its ability to localize universal themes, making Samia-Bugwe lore resonate across generations and borders.
BULUMA AMAKOWOLA! is not just a look back—it’s a reawakening. As Buluma reclaims his place in Uganda’s art history, the exhibition reaffirms the timeless power of storytelling as resistance and renewal.
The exhibition is presented by UNDER GROUND Contemporary Art in collaboration with Vodo Art Society & Lab, with special thanks to Busia Youth Centre and Hon. Macho Geofrey (MP Busia Municipality). The production team includes adviser Buluma Ochungo Mordecai, curator Nantume Violet, curatorial assistants Mugeni Jackline and MF Semuju, translator Peter Kalisti Hakwa, production team members Barbra Mirembe Nafula, Mugeni Jackline, MF Semuju, and Zitoni Tristan Kayonga Tani, electricians Ogiya Daniel and Wankusi Paul, painters Kyolya Kenneth, Mukwa Deo, Olumu George, and Sifuna Francis, plumber Mugeni Ivan, installation team MF Semuju and Zitoni Tristan Kayonga Tani, installation assistants Gonza Philip, Mukada David, and Olagwa James, photographers Julia Gyemant, Wanyama Robert, and MF Semuju, and graphic designers Kikomeko Gerald Puto and Wasswa James.
Images courtesy of Julia Gyemant, Wanyama Robert, MF Semuju, and UNDER GROUND Contemporary Art
