Blue Circle: Inspiring society through art #rwanda #RwOT

Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 29 years ago, Luladey Takele Teshome has been captivated by the world of art since childhood. Over the years, she has developed a passion for telling unique stories through artistic cultural curation, aiming to inspire positivity in society.

Luladey moved to Kigali about six years ago, where she has continued to explore her creativity through various mediums, including painting, design, photography, and ink sketching. She is currently the Art Project Management Consultant at the British Council, after several years in Rwanda's education sector.

IGIHE caught up with the sassy artist at the Mundi Centre in Kicukiro district, where she is showcasing a solo art project she has been working on over the last two years.

Luladey explains that the collection of artwork dubbed "Blue Circle" depicts her journey of discovery and rediscovery. The artwork conveys different emotions, aiming to inspire people to experience life as a full circle, embracing both lows and highs with optimism.

'The circle is the emotional circle â€" the growth that we are going through. Wherever we are today is not where we are going to be tomorrow. Sometimes you feel the peak, sometimes you feel the low, and sometimes you are just on the journey,' Luladey stated.

'There are pieces that are about my highs, the things that make me happy, the things that make me hopeful. And then there are lows that make me feel sad, vulnerable and lonely,' she added.

She explains that the blue colour is used to depict different emotions in her drawings and paintings having changed its identity over time.

'The blue colour has been associated with concepts such as tranquillity, stability, trust, loyalty, and spirituality. It's often considered a calming colour, evoking feelings of peace and serenity,' she says.

Luladey's exhibition at Mundi Centre features several paintings and 11 ink sketches.

She is passionate about one of the paintings titled "Blue Moon," 'A blue moon is something that comes once in a season. It signifies that whenever we experience peaks or lows, each moment is as present as you can be, and can only be lived once. If you're sad about something once, you won't be sad about the same thing at the same level every single time. It will shift over time.'

Blue Moon artwork on display at Mundi Centre in Kicukiro.

More than a hundred artists attended the first day of the three-day solo exhibition on Thursday, July 25, 2024.

The highly interactive session was more than just a moment to appreciate art; it was also a platform for artists from diverse backgrounds to network and challenge each other in pursuit of their dreams.

'I would want us as artists and the general public to give ourselves a challenge to overcome something we wanted to do but didn't. we have the capacity to break that barrier in our way. So just lift that up and do what you said you will do,' Luladey said, citing her solo exhibition as a big win.

Artists Jackson Manzi and Carley Cyuzuzo lauded Luladey's work and urged other colleagues in the industry who didn't manage to attend the exhibition to take advantage of the remaining two days to learn something new from Luladey's creativity.

"Any artist willing to come will learn something from her. She is a good artist â€" she's really good at what she does. The message she's giving out is good for anyone who wants to feel the love and feel free,' Cyuzuzo noted.

The exhibition continues on Friday, July 26, and Saturday, July 27, 2024.

Unlike Thursday's exhibition, which was limited to invited artists, Friday and Saturday's exhibitions will be open to the public.

The Friday session is scheduled to start at 11 am and run until 9:00 pm, while Saturday's session will close at 5:55 pm.

The Saturday session will be special and will feature a talk between Luladey and another artist, Sophie, from 1 to 3 pm. Afterwards, the floor will open to a highly engaging session dubbed "create, critic, and connect.

Luladey's captivating paintings and drawings will be available for acquisition throughout the three-day expo. Prices range from $251 to $940.