When you enter Inema Arts Center in Kacyiru, you notice vibrant artistic creations and you wonder the people behind them and, how they come up with such amazing ideas. One of the artists behind those beautiful paintings is Denis Mpabuka Nkotanyi, whose distinctive and passion for art has earned him a spot in the creative sector.

As a young boy, Nkotanyi did not wish to be a musician or a doctor, but a visual artist. The 23-year-old started his career as a painter after finishing High School. He says that he was encouraged by his relatives, who are also painters at Inema Art Center, to join the field.

Today, he creates different artworks and each piece is unique and tells the story of its own creation. Through his paintings, Nkotanyi gives the messages of love, peace and harmony.

He urges the youth to discover their talents as he did because it is one way of creating job. He also encourages people to visit art galleries and buy their products as a way of supporting local visual artists.

"I love different kinds of art, but I have a particular fondness for work that’s process-oriented, where the story of how the piece was created is as important as the piece itself,” says Nkotanyi.