The joint exhibition by women artists titled At the Entrance is on at the Kigali Soul Art Gallery.

In the exhibition space, the paintings and mixed media works are arranged to look like they are holding conversations with each other.

Curated by Jemima Kakizi, the exhibition hosts Angella Ilibagiza, Shemsa Neza, Crista Uwase, Louise Kanyange, Gretta Ingabire, Luladey T. Teshome, and Lyncka Lydie. Kakizi’s works are also on show.

Themes

The themes include violence against women, sisterhood and mental health.

The artists use acrylic paints as well as recycled materials like cloth and paper, to tell their stories about African women.

Louise Kanyange’s 90cm by 70cm mixed media piece titled Inzitane depicts a lady in tall shrub-like vegetation. The shrubs are a representation of the challenges she is surrounded with.

Kanyange’s piece is crafted on canvas sing acrylics and recycled cloth giving it an embossed feel that brings to life the images.

Teshome from Ethiopia presents her 2022 works titled Her Space 1 and Her Space 2. In bold colours, she depicts self-freedom and expression.

Lydie’s 90cm by 70cm acrylics painting titled Life in Frame is of a striking portrait of a young woman. Ingabire’s 70cm by 60cm piece titled Ubwigenge Bw’umutegarugori (A Lady’s Independence) shares a similar theme, inspired by the artist’s quest for freedom for a woman.

Humanity

Kakizi advocates for acceptance and the embrace of a woman through her painting Please Accept my Shine, which represents nature’s fusion with humanity.

Beauty and pride is celebrated through Neza’s painting Breathe and Bloom, which depicts a faceless woman surrounded by blossoming flowers. Her work is similar to Uwase’s untitled paper collage on canvas piece, which portrays two faceless women adorned in umushanana, the Rwandan traditional dressing, and jewellery.

Iribagiza’s piece Tubavuge Amazina (Let’s pronounce their names) is another body of work that pushes for recognition of women as individuals.

With the acknowledgement and appreciation of African women having been suppressed and hidden from the public, the present times call for more exposure.

The same piece can also pay tribute to women who have experienced gender based violence and rape, yet have not obtained justice.

Iribagiza's skill in collage stands out, as its striking images ignite debate.