Augustin Hakizamana (1988- )  After spending a few minutes with Augustin you will feel calmer and more relaxed as his easy-going way is so contagious. However, his calmness belies an active creative mind and paint brush. When one walks into the gallery that he helps to run, filled with paintings by many different Rwandans, one is hard pressed to quickly identify all of Augustin’s work because they are so diverse. This Kigali native attended both primary and secondary school in the capital city. Although he has never had official art classes, even at a young age his drawing demonstrated his artistic talent. He studied French in school and also speaks English, though he is very humble about his ability in both. He also speaks some Kirundi, the native language of Burundi, which is very similar to Kinyarwanda. He learned Kirundi during his one-and-half-year stay in Muyinga, Burundi starting in 1994. He sought refuge there with his father, two brothers and one sister. One of his sisters and his mother stayed behind in Kigali. In his own words, “they were separated due to war.” Augustin was working at a bar when an established Rwandan artist saw some of the sketches he was doing at work. This artist put the sketch on a canvas and showed it to Augustin and encouraged him to make more. The first time Augustin painted a work, he saw that he could make art and that it was something he wanted to keep doing. Augustin has a unique, modern but thoroughly Rwandan style. His style seems less influenced by European art and more by fellow Rwandan artists, such as those at the Ivuka Arts Studio. In his painting, Sisters his abstracted figures are presented on one type of canvas that is then superimposed and sewn on to another canvas. The stitching speaks of traditional Rwandan handicraft, while the painting speaks of Augustin’s unique modern style. The artist will tell you he learned to sew from his mother. The combined effect is one of a thoroughly Rwandan art, combining the traditional and the modern of this culture. The wall mural which he helped to create, shown in picture above with artist, also shows this combination of modern style and traditional subject matter. |
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My Way is This, shown left, shows the eclectic style of Augustin and his full range of abilities. Slightly reminiscent of a figure painted by Van Gogh or Munch, a swirling face of colors reflects the mental state of someone “who is thinking too much.” In the words of the artist, “Stress makes you ugly.” The irony here is that Augustin, who is the complete antithesis of stress, has somehow been able to capture visually the meaning and effects of stress. Augustin’s youthful exuberance shows in his homage to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. He has combined organic pieces, such as sticks, with metal man-made objects like the lid of a pot, to create a vibrant, energetic found-object piece. This whimsical work which shows a soccer player kicking a ball graces the front brick wall of the studio where he works. This studio is called “Uburanga”, which takes its name from the Kinyarwanda word for “beauty,” and it is here that Augustin continues to develop as an artist. He also continues to develop his talents with his membership in Isoko Arts Rwanda, an association of Rwandan fine artists. A work by Augustin speaks of the creativity and vision of the youngest Rwandan artists active today. The combination of his unique vision and traditional Rwandan images and subject matter make for a truly worthwhile artistic endeavor. Valerie Ficklin, M.A. (If you would like to contact the artist, you can reach him at jayaugustin@yahoo.fr.)
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