Robinah Diana Mwanje

I am an Ugandan citizen born in Kampala but of two cultures half musoga half muganda. I live in a Kampala suburb called Bwayise and there, I live with my mother, three brothers, one sister and six cousins but I have a married brother and sister with two lovely kids each. Although I am born in a big family where my dad produced 40 children but he passed away and may his soul rest in eternal peace.

I live in an area regarded as a place for low lifes “Gheto” but I love the experience because it has given me a heart that loves to be better and best at the same time. It has taught me that the kingdom of God is taken by violence and the violent take it by force! Ah … but it is such an experience because you either be violent or you are assimilated. It helps you see the world differently and if you hate what it gives you can be better because you struggle not to take what it gives.

It gives enough artistic compositions because even the deaf have what to sketch and the blind with the noise it brings with it.

Education Background

I completed my primary school in 1997 and attained a Uganda Primary Examination Certificate, attained my Uganda Certificate of Education in 2001, which experience I loved because I did every thing that made me a star in school but never smoked or drunk alcohol. In 2003 I attained my Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education but there I was the head girl of the school for 2002 – 2003, I joined Makerere University in 2004 where I studied art with electives of painting, advertising design and weaving.

In second year we had training and I trained in weaving in Nairobi – Kenya with an organization called Woodley Weavers but training in this organization taught me how to deal with illiterate women.

I love working in projects that deal with art and any projects that helps reveal what I know.

As an Artist

I call art life because it is every where from the creation stories in the bible to date art is found in every aspect of life. Art is a very abstract way of commanding a situation at hand say it may not be verbally but visually for example during the 1970s Amini was very fond of artists because he thought that they never attacked him, but they did as it was in an abstract sense.

My source of inspiration is from what we see, touch hear but mostly through traveling since I love creating new feelings in my works to avoid monogamy and boredom.

When one calls me an artist, I feel proud because I know I see deeper that what the microscope sees. Uh...

Most of my art works have a smooth touch (in painting) but I balance painting with weaving and I call my self a technician because with it one can join almost every pattern and design you can think about I love weaving situations that happen daily and anything that comes / crosses my mind, I usually 1st sketch then weave my sketches.

For the Ugatra project I still would like to combine painting and weaving because even a weaver would love to see depth in her composition and am looking forward to trying out anything with anyone.