Heart Of The Yields
By Muwonge Kyazze Mathias

To engage with the studio practices of Muwonge Kyazze Mathias, is to witness a profound, decadal negotiation between history, material transformation, and the persistent endurance of the human spirit. Heart of the Yields (2026) marks a monumental synthesis of Muwonge’s artistic lineage, weaving together early political critique, social advocacy, and an unmatched mastery of glass light and color. Across four decades of studio research, teaching, and monumental installations, Muwonge’s oeuvre stands as both a critical ledger of Uganda’s socio-political transformations and a testament to artistic resilience.

Historical Symbolism and the Sovereign Mother

Muwonge’s foundational inquiry into national identity traces back to the critical political shifts following Uganda’s independence in 1962. The post-colonial transition catalyzed powerful visual allegories of national motherhood, most prominently embodied in Gregory Maloba’s iconic Independence Monument, where the maternal figure lifts a child toward the sky as a metaphor for sovereignty, birth, and hope. In his seminal studio project Misfortune '85, archived at the Institute of Heritage Conservation and Restoration at Makerere University, Muwonge critically interrogates this symbolism. Drawing direct parallels to Maloba’s overarching femininity, Misfortune '85 confronts the rupture of civil strife, positioning the female figure not merely as an ideal of nationhood but as the primary bearer of historical trauma and survival.


Read more in catalogue