Kampala Night

photography by Justin Hackett

Kampala, Uganda

Photography by robertgilbert86

Collin Sekajugo at TEDx Kampala 2012.

Turning Trash into Treasure

A city flooded with litter is great news for the creatives. Artists should look for waste materials in their immediate surroundings, take advantage of the built-in shapes, colours and textures of ordinary rubbish, and treat the piles of litter as a main source of inspiration. These were some of the messages delivered by some of Uganda’s finest artists at the first TEDx-conference hosted in Kampala.

Visual artist Collin Sekajugo, whose art makes sure everyday objects like plastic jerry cans get an afterlife, kicked off the conference. Sekajugo is an artist with a social commitment, with the establishment of the art facilities Ivuka Arts Kigali and Weaver Bird Arts Community in Masaka on his track record.

He said he is astonished by the wide spread of especially plastics in today’s society, fascinated by how plastics these days is used for almost everything and how people cannot seem to live without it. But he is not accepting that objects like colourful jerry cans end up in the dump. His art collages made up of squares of old cans glued together with heavy oil marks around the seams is his present contribution to turning trash into treasure.

Read more via Start Journal

View of Kampala from Gaddafi National Mosque’s minaret, Uganda.

Photography by Ru Go

Echwalu Photography: Picture Of the Day: Kampala Night Skyline

“A night view of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. It’s Uganda’s largest city with an estimated population of 2 million inhabitants. Among the attractions include: Uganda Museum, National Theatre, Owino Market, Boda Bodas.  Also to note is that Kampala hosts one of only seven Bahai Houses of worship in the world. It is known as the Mother Temple of Africa and is situated on Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of the city. Its foundation stone was laid in January, 1958, and was dedicated on January 13, 1961.” - Ugandan Photographer; Edward Echwalu

b-sama:

Kampala Serena

Almost 100 years ago, in 1908, a young Winston Churchill dubbed Uganda “The Pearl of Africa.” And it was. With its fertile soil and natural resources, it was a Garden of Eden in the heart of the continent.

Since 1986, Uganda has found a new confidence and stability. Its luster has been restored and the capital, Kampala, now vibrates with optimism and energy. So it is no surprise that the prestigious Serena Group decided to transform the old 65-room government-run Nile hotel, built in 1975, into the region’s most sophisticated and stylish resort. Owned and operated by Tourism Promotion Services, an arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), Serena also owns and manages properties in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Mozambique.

The company awarded the project to Symbion International, a Nairobi-based architectural and interior design firm with which it had collaborated on a number of hotel projects over the years.

Symbion architects Jon A. Cavanagh, Pius Muli and Michael Lord, along with interior designer Paul Smith, drew on the country’s cultural and natural heritage for inspiration. Says Cavanagh, “We have brought the colors of Africa—the lakes, rivers and fertile soils—to almost every aspect of the project.” These themes appear in both the exterior features of the hotel and in the room décor, where softly flowing fabrics, muted colours and organic themes prevail. The skills of numerous local artists were also called upon to create the stunning carved panels, mosaic pillars, beaten copper fretwork, sensational traditional jewellery, beaded wall hangings and hand-carved ‘bambara birds’, which bedeck the communal areas.

Women in Kamwokya & Kyebando pose for a photo, Kampala, Uganda.

Photography by  Georg Wallner (geørg)

“Another busy evening in Kampala, Uganda. Taxis rush to get in line to pick up commuters.” - photography by yellowpumpkin