By Winter W Muganzi
Creativity is an important aspect that cuts across almost all fields of work. There are creative writers, creative musicians, creative architects, and creative lawyers, but over the weekend, I had a chance to meet a creative artist.
Daniel Atenyi, a Kampala-based visual artist, was displaying some of his charcoal-on-paper works at an open studio at the Silhouette Projects Studio in the Afriart Gallery. The gallery features a couple of really stunning art installations that utilise basic household materials such as sponges and paper beads, as well as a space for artists to exhibit their own work. I happened to be at Daniel’s open studio and had a brief conversation with him.
The artist, who has always drawn, began working with charcoal and pencil in 2018 while doing portraits before transitioning to conceptual art using charcoal powder. His creations are mostly made of charcoal, but he also incorporates other naturally occurring elements such as terracotta powder (from smashed bricks), turmeric (yes, the spice! ), and coffee. Who knew you could make masterpieces out of charcoal, bricks, food spices, and a breakfast beverage?
“I just like using powder,” Daniel explains. “I use charcoal in powder form after crushing it, and it’s only a few small bits like the outlines where I have to use pencil. The artist spent a three-month residence experimenting with the various materials in conjunction with charcoal, but did most of his work in the last month of this residence, which was quite impressive considering the high levels of detail and quality that were present in many of his pieces. “All of these are mainly experiments because it was a learning thing. I’ve set goals for a collection, but with these pieces, I was trying to understand the material and how I could use it.
Art is a form of expression, and Daniel too used this as a chance to let us get to know a different but deeper part of him. None of the work was accidental or by mistake, and he explains that there is inspiration behind it. “The theme of my work is based around personal exploration, understanding myself, and how to interact with the world around me. I see the world as a very chaotic place, and I feel like things are always falling apart, but that’s part of life, so it has to keep going,” he explains further.
Even before close scrutiny, one will notice the incredible detail in Daniel’s pieces but the absence of complete parts, which are replaced with blurry faces and half-limbs. “I draw people that are partially whole; you cannot see the faces, and that’s because the faces we wear here are not actually who we are. Who we are is what we are on the inside. Even without being complete, people continue to live their lives. That’s what I’m trying to explore.”
Daniel’s pieces are simple but arouse complex thoughts and emotions within us. He takes us beyond the art and beyond the face value of things while using common materials to bring his message to us. It was a wonderful experience that would attract just about anyone, and the objective behind it does not need an art connoisseur to spell it out for you.
Daniel has greater ambitions, and he plans on continuing exhibitions while using charcoal and incorporating other materials. A big and better solo exhibition, probably next year, is something we should watch out for. There are many creatives out there, but what Daniel has over them is that he uses his art to spread a message to the public.
