NDAYISHIMIYE Desire Arsene is a
professional dancer and choreographer who began their Professional dance career in 2017 with the support of Amizero Dance Company. They have performed at significant festivals such as Batalo Dance Festival in Uganda and the Kenyan International Theatre Festival, Eant dance festival,Africa moment, fari foni dance laboratory, Goma dance festival . As the founder of Next Move Dance Company, they offer dance classes and camps, focusing on contemporary dance and awareness of professional dance. NDAYISHIMIYE Desire Arsene has learned from renowned choreographers and created impactful pieces like “Iris, Corporate Wonder Woman, catharsis, metamorphosis, Inside,” Their work has toured internationally, and they continue to contribute to the dance community in Rwanda and beyond.
Ibrahima Niassy, également connu sous le nom de PISCO, est un chorégraphe, danseur et interprète de 26 ans. Diplômé, fondateur, et directeur artistique de plusieurs initiatives artistiques influentes, Ibrahima est originaire de Saint-Louis, Sénégal, où il a su transformer sa passion pour la danse en une carrière internationale marquée par des collaborations, des créations et des succès notables.
Formation et Carrière
Né et élevé à Saint-Louis, Ibrahima a découvert la danse dès son plus jeune âge, se passionnant d’abord pour le hip-hop. Il s’est rapidement distingué par son talent exceptionnel, remportant plusieurs compétitions de danse urbaine. Son style, à la fois technique et magnétique, lui a permis de se faire un nom dans le milieu de la danse.
En quête de nouveaux défis, Ibrahima s’est ensuite tourné vers la danse contemporaine, enrichissant son langage artistique par des formations à Saint-Louis et au Sénégal. Sa volonté de perfectionner son art l’a conduit à l’École des Sables de Mama Germaine Acogny, la plus prestigieuse école de danse contemporaine en Afrique. Il a obtenu un diplôme reconnu par l’État et à l’échelle internationale, renforçant ainsi sa capacité à fusionner les racines de la danse africaine avec des expressions contemporaines.
Réalisations et Distinctions
Au fil des ans, Ibrahima a collaboré avec de grandes compagnies de danse, se produisant sur des scènes prestigieuses à travers le monde. Son talent et sa présence scénique lui ont valu une reconnaissance internationale. Parmi ses nombreuses réalisations, on note sa résidence à la Cité Internationale des Arts de Paris, où il a créé la pièce Le (Droit de la Nature), une œuvre saluée pour sa vision artistique novatrice et son engagement pour la cause environnementale.
Une autre création marquante est (Mémoire de l’âme), une pièce chorégraphique réalisée avec le soutien de l’École des Sables. Cette œuvre rassemble huit danseurs de divers horizons – Hollande, France, Sénégal, Mali, Bénin, et Nigéria – et a eu un impact significatif sur la scène artistique au Sénégal.
(Au-delà) est une autre pièce personnelle et poignante qu’Ibrahima a réalisée en solo pour obtenir son diplôme. Ce travail explore les défis auxquels il est confronté en tant qu’homme danseur dans une société qui ne reconnaît pas toujours la légitimité de cet art pour un homme. La pièce aborde les violations physiques et morales, l’isolement et les malentendus auxquels il doit faire face. Dans une culture où l’on attend souvent des hommes qu’ils trouvent un travail conventionnel ou qu’ils s’engagent dans des activités perçues comme plus masculines, la danse est souvent mal vue. (Au-delà) reflète ce combat contre les stéréotypes et l’ignorance, tout en montrant la résilience et la passion qui l’animent malgré les obstacles.
Street Positive et Festival Ndadjee Street
En plus de sa carrière artistique, Ibrahima est un entrepreneur culturel engagé. Il a fondé Street Positive, une initiative née de sa volonté de transformer les défis socio-économiques en opportunités créatives. Constatant les limitations de production artistique liées à la pauvreté dans sa communauté, Ibrahima a voulu montrer que la rue, souvent perçue de manière négative, pouvait être un espace de positivité et de rencontre. Street Positive vise à promouvoir la danse urbaine et à créer une plateforme pour les jeunes talents sénégalais, tout en encourageant les performances de rue et en rassemblant les communautés locales.
Dans cette continuité, Ibrahima a lancé le Festival Ndadjee Street, l’un des plus grands festivals de danse urbaine à Saint-Louis. Ce festival, qu’il dirige en tant que directeur artistique, rassemble des artistes du monde entier et offre une vitrine exceptionnelle pour la danse et les arts urbains. Le festival joue un rôle crucial dans la dynamisation de la scène artistique locale, tout en créant des ponts entre les différentes cultures à travers les arts de la rue.
En 2003, Philippe Hermann
ONDOA BESSALA rejoint un
groupe de danse dirigé par le
danseur Parker qui arrivait tout
juste de France et qui fonda le LIL
PARKER, premier groupe de
Breakdanse ayant eu un formateur
professionnel. La curiosité pour les
danses, l’outil de transmission et la
puissance d’évocation du geste ne
sont jamais assouvis chez Philippe
Ondoa. Son esprit de recherche le
conduit toujours à nourrir ses
inspirations hip-hop avec des
styles aussi divers que celles les
danses traditionnelles
camerounaises, contemporaines,
classiques ou afro.
En 2012, Il crée la Cie Floor Art Crew et
chorégraphie la pièce EQUILIBRE,
intègre plusieurs compagnies
comme la Cie La Calebasse de Merlin
NYAKAM dans le spectacle
ORGANICUS joué au Japon, la Cie
Wanga de Jérôme MANDA;
chorégraphe du ballet national du
Cameroun dans la comédie musicale
sur l’esclavage STRONGER
THOGETHER ainsi que la Cie Art
Feeling dans la pièce ET SI...
En 2018, Philippe ONDOA se lance
dans une carrière solo et il fait partie
du jury du Goethe Découverte 2020 -
catégorie danse et performance.
Aujourd'hui, tout en continuant à
danser, c'est autour de l'écriture
chorégraphique et de la formation
des plus jeunes qu'il concentre son
travail au sein de son association
Urban Zone Colors.
Il crée aussi un mouvement de
danse : Urban Zone Contest qui
invite la jeunesse de la ville de
Yaoundé sur sa plateforme
pendant 5 ans. Cette initiative est
suivie par le Centre Culturelle
Urban Village ainsi que par
L’Institut Français de Yaoundé
jusqu’à 2015. Cet événement
conduit à la création d’un festival
international et d'un forum sur la
danse urbaine.
Danseur passionné, Il aime revisiter
les techniques de la danse hip-hop
afin de les remettre en question. Il
peut alors offrir aux danseurs des
compagnies avec lesquelles il
travaille, ainsi qu’aux spectateurs,
un mouvement toujours innovant,
surprenant et dynamique. Connu
et reconnu pour sa grande
contribution à l’émergence de la
culture hip-hop et pour son regard
avisé, il est appelé à collaborer à de
nombreux projets artistiques au
Cameroun et dans le monde.
Rwanda Ejo Episode hosted by Manzi Mbaya
Artist like
Michiel Robberecht ( producer of the Kinyatrap Exhbition)
Natasha Muzira
Miriam Birara
Shema Gaetant
Abdoul Mujyambere
Nkubana J.Patient
Moses Turahirwa
This episode was recorded in Paris France 18th May 2024
Nizeyimana Claude was born in 1998 in Rubavu, Rwanda. He is a talented Rwandan professional
sculptor, set designer, and ceramist who primarily works with wood and metal. From an early age,
he displayed a keen interest in art, experimenting with various forms such as sculptures,
woodwork, clay, and comic sketches during his primary school years. Despite the scarcity of artists
in the region at the time, Nizeyimana’s determination to acquire skills and knowledge in the field
of art remained steady.
Driven by discipline and passion, Nizeyimana Claude decided to pursue his formal education at
Nyundo School of Arts. Here, he honed his talents and continued to explore various aspects of art,
particularly focusing on working with wood and metal, which would become his dominant
mediums. After graduating from Nyundo School of Arts, Claude dived deeper into his artistic
journey and found inspiration in his life experiences, channeling them through the lens of
surrealism.
Throughout his career, Nizeyimana has had the opportunity to work on notable projects alongside
accomplished artists. He was part of the set design team for “Neptune Crest,” a production directed
by Saul Williams and Anisia uzeyman. Additionally, he played a significant role in the set design
team for “Imandwa SS22” by Moshions, showcasing his talent and creativity in shaping visual
narratives for this esteemed fashion house.
Furthermore, he was among the top four sculptors who prepared the esteemed Kwanda Sculpture
Exhibition, held at L’espace in August 2022, further solidifying his reputation as a distinguished
artist. Nizeyimana’s talent gained recognition on an international level when he was chosen as one
of the exhibiting artists at the 73rd FIFA Congress in 2023, a prestigious event that took place in
Kigali, Rwanda.
He joined Cedric Mizero's set designer team, which was responsible for preparing various movies
and projects, including the aforementioned FIFA Congress.
Aside from his individual accomplishments, Nizeyimana Claude is also a valuable member of the
Cedric Mizero set designer team, involved in the preparation of various movies and projects.
Notably, the 73rd FIFA Congress in 2023 was among their recent collaborations.
Nizeyimana is also associated with the MWINDA collection as a sculpture artist, further
showcasing his versatility and skill in the art world by also contributing to the rich tapestry of
Rwandan and international art.
He was graciously invited by the Embassy of Rwanda in Qatar to showcase his artistry as a solo
artist during the 29th commemoration of Rwanda's Liberation Day in September 2023.
deejay
Manzi Jackson is a self-taught visual Artist based in Kigali, Rwanda.
His ability to draw at an early age shaped the artist he is today. Exploring
various mediums from drawing to painting I traditional and digital forms.
Manzi dabbles in surreal and magical concepts, displayed in his ability to portray the full magical breadth of his subjects with breathtaking, colorful technique.
He’s currently focusing on a body of portrait and figurative works depicting dreamy energy that draws us into a rich and vibrant realm. His subjects are manifestations visiting us from alternate, often futuristic realities, taking us on a cosmic journey and making us wonder about worlds that lie beyond our own.
EXHIBITIONS
-SOLO-
2016 - 2017 _ “Transfigured. “ Innovation Village. Kigali, Rwanda
-GROUP-
2013 _ Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a dream”. US Embassy Rwanda.
2015 _ “Spontaneous Rhythm”. Ivuka Arts, Kigali-Rwanda.
2015 _ “CAPSC (Creating Art For Positive Social Change)” – US Embassy Rwanda.
2016 _ “Dans les yeux de l’artiste” – Umubano Hotel, Kigali – Rwanda
2018 _ “German – Rwandan Fusion”. Goethe Institute Kigali.
2019 _ “Mumasangano”, School of Architecture, Kigali-Rwanda.
2019 _ “Afrotopism”. GIZ, Kigali- Rwanda
2020 _ “Black Canvas”. Disrupt Space, London, United Kingdom
2020 _ “Kwetu”. City Hall, London, United Kingdom.
2020 _ “SPACE & MIND” Virtual Exhibition, Kigali, Rwanda.
2021 _ Art, Humans & Universe + - Kuuru Art Space Kiagli
Alex SsebaggalaMon, Oct 2, 5:12 PM (2 days ago)to meAlex Ssebaggala is an exceptional Ugandan urban/contemporary performing artist and dance researcher currently based in Kigali, Rwanda. His artistic journey is characterized by a fusion of breakdance, African traditional, contemporary, and urban dance techniques, resulting in a captivating and unique mix of styles. With a deep passion for dance and a commitment to artistic exploration, Alex's performances captivate audiences with their innovative choreography and dynamic movement. His artistry is driven by a desire to push boundaries and challenge conventional notions of dance, resulting in a fresh and exciting experience for viewers. Beyond his artistic endeavors, Alex is dedicated to knowledge-sharing and community development within the dance field. He actively engages in voluntary work, providing dance lessons and guidance to aspiring young dancers in Rwanda. Through his teaching, he nurtures talent, instills confidence, and helps shape the next generation of dancers.--
Alex SsebaggalaPerforming Artist | Choreographer | Creative Facilitator | Social Worker.CONTACTS:
Co-founder at Kigali Breaking Cypher Monitor at Kubasha Dance Company “I became an artist because I wanted to be an active participant in the conversation about art.”
Born in Kigali, Jacques Nkinzingabo still lives and works in Rwanda’s Capital. Nkinzingabo is aself-taught photographer and visual storyteller specializing in Documentary Photography.
Nkinzingabo is one of the first photographers stood up to show a new images of Rwanda through documenting its beauty and resilience. His photography artwork focuses on cultural diversity, Memories, migration, identity and social issues.
Furthermore, Nkinzingabo is the co-founder of KwandaArt Foundation, which helps promoting Rwanda’s photography & art community through festivals,workshops and exhibitions.
He recently opened the first and only Photography Gallery& Center in Kigali ( The Kigali Center for Photography ), Rwanda where he displays the work of other Rwandan photographers and he hosts international photographers to his Center through Exhibitions , Workshops , Artist Talk , Portfolio Reviews and soon for residencies.
His work has also been exhibited in India, Germany, France and Rwanda and He has been commissioned by for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal ,The Washington Post , AFP , UNICEF , Oxfam , Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust ,The Global Fund , WaterAid , Body Shop International , TERRITORY , The European Times , Radisson Blu Hotel and more.
For more information on Jacques's work, to get in touch regarding employment opportunities, or to just say hello, feel free to get in touch. ( e: jackyakubuu@gmail.com )
Akimanizanye Jemima known as per her artist name Kakizi Jemima is a multidisciplinary artist and a curator who was nominated for Forbes Women Africa Social Impact Awards 2023. She started painting in 2013, and her passion for advocacy pushed her into creating and learning through art about different topics with community members of all ages. Over the years, she has explored different topics such as women empowerment, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, environmental protection and mental health through art. It didn’t take Jemima long to notice a lack of visibility for women in visual arts in Rwanda and with fellow women artists, they founded the Rwanda Womxn Artists Collective (R.W.A) with the aim to raise the visibility of women artists and to support each other. This further inspired Jemima to embark on a journey to curating exhibitions under the auspices of Impundu arts that she founded 2022. Along this journey, Jemima has not only grown as a person but also as a professional. She has worked on big projects with institutions and organizations such as UNICEF Rwanda, Girl Effect, Goethe Institut Kigali, Creative Action Institute and the Ministry of Youth in Rwanda. She has attended different international exhibitions such as Pink flame (Kenya,) Each for Equal (Rwanda & Tanzania.) Make the Invisible Visible (Germany.) She has also worked on various personal projects focusing on subjects that are rarely talked about or considered taboo to start conversations and bring about positive change.
I strongly believe that the greatest empowerment every woman should have is being empowered financially and mentally. I am a passionate marketing professional with a flair for creativity and a drive to make an impact. With five years of experience in digital marketing and a love for storytelling, I enjoy crafting compelling campaigns that engage and inspire audiences. When I'm not immersed in marketing strategies, you'll find me exploring new hiking trails, crocheting with mothers, and enjoying people's company. As a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I blend the artistry of crochet with the hospitality of a boutique hotel to create unique experiences that weave warmth, comfort, and creativity into the lives of my guests and customers. As well as the women I work with.
Hey, please call me 1key. I'm an independent artist experimenting with sound, visuals, installation and live acting performance. My influences range from Rwandan traditiotional folk storytelling to lyrical Rap with bits of congolese Rhumba, some RnB, pop, punk, rock elements in the mix. I spend my time in East Africa when I'm not touring across Europe, mainly Germany and France.
I have been blessed to collaborate great talents such as Saul Williams on Nepfune Frost- a film that premiered and became Coup de Coeur of Cannes Festival 2021;
I featured on J Ivy's 2022 Grammy-nomitated album Catching Dreams;
I have been invited by Gael Faye on a number of sets including this performance in Toulouse, France ;
I continue to tour, learn and collaborate with various talents across the world. I'm a nomad so there's a chance we might bump into eah other somewhere.
Born 19th December, 1990 in Uganda, Rwandan by nationality. I am a multi- disciplinary self-taught artist running a creative studio in Kigali. My arts practice ranges from visual arts in mixed media paintings, photography and sculptures with interest in architecture for furniture design to performance art and installations. With experiences gained from participating in local and international arts projects, workshops, artist residencies and exhibitions, cultural exchanges and educational programs on leadership facilitation. These influence my role and growth as an artist.
SHORT ARTIST STATEMENT
The narrative I tell with my art is that it is really meant to act as a conductor to connect people to see themselves in the art I make. I want people to experience my work and reflect on what I represent as their own experiences reflected back to them. The content of the work is very important as it embodies reflections of personal experiences too and I believe they are not distant from a collective human experience. In my practice, I experiment quite a lot with materials which has facilitated my growth greatly. I use photographic materials, written texts, typography, and language developing artworks on canvas and paper to document and highlight social narratives and experiences, aspirations and dreams of those I engage with and portray in my work.
I am an artist using human stories to deconstruct and reconstruct social narratives therefore my art acting as a voice and tool for awareness. In my practice, the human connection comes first then the work develops from there. In the beginning I started with myself reflecting on how I represent myself tackling the idea of identity. As I developed my working process, I started to realize that the relationship between the story of the character, the material and final developed work were as important as the character themselves. And that is what my work is really. It is a complex mixture of emotions and reflections to the relationships I develop and how they impact me as an artist. I really want the people portrayed in my work to exist as representations of great resilience, and for the work to be seen as a new perspective that one can use to look back on their everyday life with...
WILLY KAREKEZI is a multidisciplinary artist & founder of Indiba Arts Space and currently residing in Kigali. A believer in human interactions, his art seeks the understanding and study of identity in the contemporary world and to provoke conversations on the impacts of our choices. This interest and concepts are inspired through his own journey, to observe his surroundings and narrate the feelings in navigating the environment and illuminate the changing nature of life and the conditions experienced by people. His style is expressionism merged with healthy doses of realism, steeped in contemporary dialogue. His work is intended to be thought provoking, raise the collective consciousness and share the deep emotions of how we all try to fit in somewhere. Words are often embedded in his art, serving as a symbol of the unspoken, unseen and forgotten values in our current realities, and also represents how we are pushing the boundaries of communication. Through educational programs and working within refugee camps in Rwanda and Uganda, he also contributes financially and emotionally through workshops, exhibitions and installations. To name a selection of these, Willy has worked with the Moleskine Foundation, American Refugee Committee, UNHCR, European Youth Exchange Project and Kinderfreunde Austria. His work has been exhibited worldwide in solo and group exhibitions in the National Museum of Uganda; The Oglethorpe University Museum of Art in Atlanta; Green Circle - pool7, Vienna; Sprachsalon Berlin; and the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has participated in Artist residencies in 32 degrees East, Uganda; KAN Artivist in Residency, Tanzania; Nafasi Arts Residency, Tanzania; and Bongo Hub, Germany.
Artist Statement
Working on myself is the hardest thing that I have ever done and the most important job I have ever got. On this journey where I face myself - I try to focus on my discipline and creativity, to rediscover and grow as a visual artist, and also as a way to to heal my inner self and restore from the altered behaviours and changed character. This exhibition is a way to reconnect with myself and this is not an easy process. In my work, the subjects you’ll see are primarily women, who signify the missing fragment of my life. When I’m painting I’m always trying to recreate the story and imagine a life with this restored and how that would affect my identity and how I perceive my reality. Painting one canvas a day was easy and hard; from the inspired days and flow of the creation, to the refocus on the difficult days when I was down and low, while allowing the intensity of emotions and the difference of experiences to show in the work. It is really good to see the outcome of it, because I created these stories with different energies; some are deep from my story, some are from finding myself and adapting the style I use, and some from inspiration from my friends and the reality around me.
In her long time practice,25 year-old Boukuru has explored her singing in different genres and styles. Self-taught, Boukuru began singing at a very young age as a hobby and as a means of responding to life. In her early age she used to perform in church Sunday schools and later evolved into a worship leader, highlighting vulnerability and dedication to both singing and ministry.
Boukuru later joined and was among the top ten finalists of a national competition called art Rwanda ubuhanzi in 2018, a platform that later opened many other doors in her singing career including performing on remarkable national and international stages like youth connect 2018, Iwacu muzika Festival 2020, Eu peace concert 2021, Africa in colors & Moca international festival 2022,opening for Youssou N'Dour at the Kwita Izina 2022 Gala dinner national event and many more.
She has also worked on different community projects like baho Neza and social behavioral change with Imbuto foundation, and has been awarded for corona viruses awareness best regional art piece for la Benovolencija in 2020.
Boukuru has launched one individual project-Indamu and Ep of five songs featuring a Rwandan producer Flyest Music and intends to launch a lot more projects in work that will be continually showcased as she continues to make it in her singing in a diverse range of genres including traditional and classic soul.
I was born in Rwanda. While I have been an artist my entire life, I have has been creating art professionally since 2012. I am influenced by many artists; however, I am a self-taught artist.
As I have grown in my career, my work has become semi-abstract, abstract paintings and I also create art installation through repetitive and labor intensive techniques. I learned some of my methods, including weaving, sewing, rolling and twisting. Those techniques help me create fluidity and movement, allowing me to fully express my feelings in my artworks. Throughout my career, I have been motivated by the belief that “art has the power to heal people physically, mentally, and emotionally.” and also bring people together.
With this belief in mind, I co-founded Rwanda’s leading art space “KUURU ART SPACE Kigali” 2017.This studio brings together the most skilled and talented artists from all over the country with the goal of making artworks to portray, develop and change lives through creativity. It is working to become a reference, and transform Rwanda’s art scene.
I donate my time teaching arts and crafts to orphans and vulnerable children. I have also spent time working and volunteering at Rwandan orphanages and hospitals painting bright and playful murals that have been sponsored by both private individuals and NGOs. I have been participated in exhibitions locally and internationally.