Louise Deininger has adopted unconventional materials, such as elephant dung, the kanga, Ugandan bark cloth and cowrie shells to create artworks that provoke critical thought, consciousness, spirituality, and identity.
She says elephant dung, acrylic pigment, kanga, bark cloth, cowrie shells, paper mache masks, Ugandan tea bags, soil and sand “serve as a metaphor for cultural, political and social dynamics of our identity.”
“These materials from different cultures reflect my profound interest in the world of materiality and its role in art,” she says.
Louise’s latest artworks were displayed at a month-long exhibition titled “The family scars (A man searches for his soul)” that was held at the Xenson Art Space in Kampala from November 30 to December 30, 2024.
She used different languages to title her works ranging from Swahili, Luo and Acholi all translated into English.
“The Family Scars” was aimed at exploring the intersection of traditional materials and rituals through installations, objects and paintings and how these can be used in art to narrate stories and also serve as a metaphor for cultural, political and social dynamics of our identity. It begins with the autobiographical journey of my father, the migration of our family, clan, tribe and a people, their history, cultural and political heritage,” she said.
The elephant dung was collected from the elephant path in Paraa district Northern Uganda. It was dried then pounded into powder, mixed with acrylic, soil and sand to acquire the desired results in different colours which was applied on canvas mounted on plywood.
Artworks by Louise Deininger at her solo exhibition 'The family scars (A man searches for his soul)' at Xenson Art Space in Kampala.
Photo credit: Xenson Art Space
“The kanga textile in this case was from my late mother’s wardrobe and Ugandan bark cloth cut into desired shapes and glued onto the canvas as collage before applying the pigmented elephant dung,” she said.
Louise was born in Jinja, Uganda, and raised in Nairobi and London. She lives and works in Vienna, Austria, and Gulu in northern Uganda.
As an African artist, her conceptual body of works in a contemporary sense, is focused, within the field of consciousness, spiritual science, metaphysics, self and personal development, self-leadership, critical thinking and identity.
“I am driven by the desire to question perception, provoke thought, while inspiring viewers to ask deeper questions beyond preconceived ideas regarding art,” she added.
She is the founder of GYCO Art and Education Academy, and has held several exhibitions in Africa, Europe and USA.
