This March,visual artist Innocent Buregeya returns to his favourite theme –that of women, in a solo art exhibition dubbed, “Ode To Motherhood”. It is his first solo project for the year 2019. The three-week exhibition will run from March 6-31, at the Women’s Bakery in Remera. Innocent Buregeya at his Buregeya Art Studio at Gishushu. Pictured are some of his creations that will be showcased at the “Ode To Motherhood”exhibition. Courtesy photos. Working out of his newly revamped Buregeya Art Studio in Gishushu, the artist came up with 20 art works of varying sizes, to pay homage to women in general, and the institution of motherhood in particular. He chose the medium of acrylic on canvass for all the pieces. The pieces range in size from the biggest, which is a square meter large, to the smallest (25cmX30cm). “I chose that theme because I wanted to pay tribute to motherhood from all sides –both the known motherhood and unknown motherhood –those mothers who are visible, and those who are not visible. In our society there are those mothers who always work so hard, but are rarely celebrated or talked about. For example the place where I will hold this exhibition is a place where they teach mothers to make bread. My exhibition is based there to show them respect and show how our mothers have been important in our lives.” It will be the first time the Women’s Bakery is hosting an art exhibition. Buregeya and the Women’s Bakery team first met at a farmers and artisans market at the Mamba Club in Kimihurura last year. “I met the manager and we had a conversation about how I could be a part of their project as an artist to contribute to the good work they are doing for the women here in Rwanda. Early this year I visited their premises and it looked really good,” Buregeya revealed. As part of the agreement signed with the bakery, the artist will remit 30 percent of the money from each painting sold as a contribution to the women’s program at the bakery. The artist reveals that this is one of the best parts of the upcoming exhibition: “For me I take mothers or women in general as flowers which are there, not to be cut, but to be nourished. I also want to be supportive in their everyday life by showing them respect and also showing how beautiful they are.
