Season one of the ‘In the Art World’ exhibition by contemporary artist Samuel Niyonkuru Boneza has portrayed different messages of hope and seeks to leverage it with more seasons featuring other artists. One of his artworks “Rejected Beauty” depicts a message inspired by a true story of a woman he met while he was walking on the streets around the city. In the portrait, one can see a woman seated outdoors breastfeeding her child with a sad face and a vase of flowers right next to her. The woman symbolizes all women who were thrown out with children by their spouses and now struggling on the streets. That, according to Boneza, reflects that women need a voice, especially to talk about family issues where their rights are violated on a daily basis and encourages society to support these rejected women in one way or another. ALSO READ: Visual artist advocates for more support for local art “Women today still face a lot of challenges so I wanted to speak out and encourage others as an artist to see a change in our society. Which is why the journey is not over, we shall continue with other editions to inspire and talk about hope in young people and women empowerment,” he said. My message is targeting everyone because we have a lot to learn from each other in the course of life. In a time where suicidal thoughts are increasingly becoming more prevalent in the younger generation, art is a great way of talking about it and be there for another,” he added. Boneza's journey into the world of art began in 2017, where he initially explored realism. However, he soon found that this genre limited the expression of his imaginative ideas. Consequently, he transitioned to contemporary art, a genre that gave him the freedom to delve deep into societal narratives and life stories, often accompanied by poetic interpretations. The collection is an homage to different historical artistic styles and movements ranging from contemporary expressionism to renaissance style portraiture. By fusing together different artistic expressions, Boneza explores themes in society such as love, struggle, courage and ambition. With a mission to inspire, challenge and engage, offering a fresh perspective on the art world and its boundless possibilities, Boneza explores themes in society such as love, struggle, courage and ambition. The exhibition has been taking place from September 29 at Envision Rwanda and will end on October 7. The artist whose priority was not to sell his artwork but rather give a message, was thrilled by the attendance and engagement of the attendees during the exhibition.
