Over the years, Uganda murals keep fighting gender-based violence
Ugandan artist: ‘Using murals/street art, we empower communities to speak up’
Artist and social justice activist Vincent Kyabayinze deploys his art as a weapon against injustice.
“Using murals/street art, we empower communities to speak up, raise awareness and change the whole narrative,” he says of Uganda-based East African Visual Artists (EAVA) , where he is executive director.
“Empowered citizens are key advocates for change,” he says.
In a recent presentation seeking an end to censorship, he highlighted a set of murals that remain powerful four years after EAVA artists created them four years ago.
The most striking image — of a woman showing the agony behind her mask — symbolizes the ever ongoing gender-based violence against vulnerable minorities such as LGBTIQ+ persons in Uganda, where women and girls find it difficult to openly talk about Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and/or sexual and reproductive health and rights, Kyabayinze said.
Kyabayinze has contributed artwork to support Project Not Alone‘s campaign to free innocent imprisoned victims of African homophobia.
“Join us as we keep empowering our communities to speak up. Support a mural and engage in debates. Together we can archieve a better world,” he said.
