Notes

Geoffrey Mukasa is widely recognized as one of East Africa’s most influential painters. Born to a medical doctor and the daughter of a Chief, Mukasa spent part of his childhood in the King’s palace in Buganda. Following the coup by Idi Amin, Mukasa left Uganda in exile to study fine art at the Lucknow College of Art and Crafts in India. This period for Mukasa was one of much formal experimentation, shaped by his research into both Indian and European art movements. When Mukasa returned to Uganda he had developed a distinctive style of painting, frequently focusing on relationships and interactions between humans and their environment. During the early 1990s, Mukasa became a key figure in the movement to revive cultural life in Kampala. This movement was seen as a unifying force and an inspiration for the nation’s recovery after years of military dictatorship. Mukasa returned to Uganda with great influence from his Indian mentor, the master painter M.F Husain, the depth of which was cemented by his inclusion in an exhibition of Indian Modern Art at Villa Vassilieff Gallery, Paris, 2017. In 2016, Mukasa’s work was shown in a solo presentation at Art Dubai Modern. His work is held in collections in America, Europe, and Africa and appears frequently at international auctions, including Sotheby’s and Bonhams. Publications include Mukasa Geoffrey – the Artist’s Life in Uganda, AKA Gallery Kampala published by Maria Fischer, Rose Kirumira, Paul Lubowa, and Josephine Mukasa, 2011.

Biography courtesy of Circle Art Gallery.

Provenance

Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi, 2023.