SOULSPEAK: SOULSPEAK WITH VERONICCAH MUWONGE (Fine Artist, Uganda)

"My biggest dream is to be the biggest advocate for young women artists so they never have to stop creating amazing art."

VERONICCAH MUWONGA

Kampala, Uganda

Veroniccah, or 'Veroh' is a Ugandan contemporary Expressionist Artist that works mainly with acrylics and oil paints on canvas. In her paintings the Artist seeks to communicate and document her internal subjective experience on issues affecting the people she encounters, the African Cultures and that of the Peoples she meets in her travel adventures. A winner of 2005 Ford Foundation Fellowship for African and Arab Artists, she has exhibited her work in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, France, Germany, New York, California, and Portland OR.

One of Veroniccah’s current initiatives is towards the growth and development of Female Artists in Uganda. She put together ufa-network, a website that gives undiscovered Ugandan Female Artists a platform to show their talent to the world. Hear more of what this beautiful artist has to say about her work, love, her dreams and more today on Soulspeak.

Inner Beauty ,36”x48”, Acrylic on canvas

From Veroniccah's Gallery

WHO IS VERONICCAH?

I like to think of myself as the ambitious, hardworking, self-driven woman. I have always strived to get things done and done well. I like to make my family and friends proud through my work.

TELL ME ABOUT THE BIRTH OF YOUR ART.

Well, as a child I enjoyed drawing a lot. I drew in the mad a lot especially on rainy days. I was always making stuff with my hands. I remember building little houses with boxes, wood panels, and grass. I played outdoors so much and enjoyed just letting myself carried away building stuff.

LET'S TALK ABOUT UFA-NETWORK.

I started ufa-network as a channel to connect the women artists in Uganda with other women around the world. When I graduated from college almost 10yrs ago, I had no idea on how to tackle the world of creative people. It can be pretty intimidating and I always wished there was someone to hold my hand and show me the way, or atleast tell me how.I had to figure things out on my own, be brave and dive in. It was and has been a tough journey but I always believed that if there were people ahead of us to guide and motivate us, maybe the journey wouldn't be as tough. It's all I wanna do for other artists that actually have a passion and talent but the challenges sometimes throw them off and others never get back. I just want the network to do the job, In my experience there is no power like the power of networking and I wanna do my best to lay that platform.

WHERE DO YOU GET THE INSPIRATION?
I can find inspiration from almost anywhere, it's simply in the moment when something grasps my eye or attention or heart. As long as I connect to that moment, be it a beautiful landscape, a person, a story, a song...I get inspired.

WHAT KEEPS YOU CENTERED?

Being a first born child the fear of letting my family down. My family and many friends look up to me and letting them down devastates me but when the people I live for are happy with me it gives meaning to my life.

WHAT OTHER PASSIONS ENRICH YOUR SPIRIT?

Music, and active sports.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

I have learned that I underestimate my potential many times until I jump into a project and get surprised by what I can do.

WHAT HAVE YOU UNLEARNED?

I have un-learned to be so trusting of everyone.

DAY IN THE LIFE OF VERONICCAH

I'm not a morning person so typically when its my choice I like to wake up when I can wake up, maybe 10am, 11am sometimes mid-day, I check my emails before I even brush my teeth, take a bath, have breakfast/lunch, then start my work. My work stretches into the night because I typically like to work when everyone else has gone to bed, I love to hear myself think and always get more work done with less interruptions. My day ends around 2am - 4am depending on the project.

YOU ARE FACE TO FACE WITH YOURSELF AS A CHILD. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO YOU?

"Don't grow up!"(laughs)."

Seriously it's taught growing up, life was a lot easier when I was young but I would probably tell me to choose my friends wisely.

IF THERE'S ONE THING YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE ABOUT THE WORLD WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Kindness and fairness. I believe that even when someone wrongs us we can still be kind to them and treat them fairly.

REGRETS.

I believe that for every experience I have had in life I have learned something out of it no matter how nasty or heartbreaking.

WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I sometimes breakdown, you just may never see it on my face.

DREAMS & ASPIRATIONS.

My biggest dream is to be the biggest advocate for young women artists so they never have to stop creating amazing art.

ON 2012.

For me is a year for rebirth. So much has happened in the last couple of years that I had not got a moment to let out and its all starting to spill. The future definitely looks brighter, Im introducing new experimentational techniques to my work so its gonna be an exciting process.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE.

When I sold my first painting in 2002. I knew I loved to paint but did not believe that my work could sell so that gave me a lot of confidence and faith in myself.

SOUL MATES & TWIN FLAMES. DO YOU BELIEVE IN IT?

(Laugh) I don't know, maybe I once did.

YOUR INFLUENCES. MENTORS & TEACHERS.

I pick up stuff from different people, the good stuff I mean. I like different things from different people but I always strive to emulate my mother, she's my biggest mentor.

WHAT IS LOVE?

I think love is to serve and give to others unconditionally.

TELL ME OF A MEMORABLE FEEDBACK FROM A FAN OF YOUR WORK.

This particular fan of my work always came to my studio and said " I never get tired of looking at your work. I always see something new" then he would point out the new stuff and actually I could see those things even if I didn't intend to put them in the painting. I thought he had a great love to interpret my work and he loved it so much he got absorbed in it.

IF YOU WERE TO PAINT RIGHT NOW WHAT IMAGES WOULD I SEE?

Thinking about this moment I see a series of stairs and a bright sunlight hitting from the back through the horizon and reflecting on every step giving each one a unique character. I see glares of bouncing energy along the stairs and a luminous human body ascending the stairs.

YOUR ONE MESSAGE TO THE WORLD?

Keep doing right by others even when you think they don't deserve it.