Facing the Climate
– fifteen Ugandan and Swedish cartoonists get you thinking!
Word from the curator: As the elders are destroying the environment, the young are suffocating. The world is unequivocally warming and this is mostly because of humans. It is a story of loss, depletion, extinction, but most importantly, awareness – a subtle but sometimes epic and satirical negation of thought, attitudes and approach. Bringing together talented Ugandan and Swedish cartoonists, Facing the Climate depicts a satirical response to climatic change in Uganda and Sweden. In a time when policies on combating climate change adaptation are drafted for not only the government but also civilians, it is necessary to shift our attention from what has been done to the more that can be achieved. More to advocating for climatic change awareness, the artists have explicitly attempted to document real and imaginary visual effects of climate change across Uganda and Sweden. Throughout the exhibition, there is a manifestation of a suffocated growth depicted through either children or vegetation. Richard Kato’s artwork titled Useless Debates alludes to how adults are reluctant to heed to news regarding climate change in preference for celebrity gossip. This provokes the audience to re-evaluate their personal responses in matters pertaining Climate change. At this point, Facing the Climate exhibition emerges as a satirized emblem of the future through the present, through the lens of the cartoonists. Martha Kazungu
Martha Kazungu is a curator and writer from Uganda. She was Curatorial Assistant for Kampala Art Biennale 2016. She has also cocurated Here and Here exhibition in Ethiopia, Ekifananyi Kya Muteesa exhibition in Kampala and many others. She has contributed articles to Contemporary And (C&) online Magazine (Germany), Art Africa (South Africa) and Start Art Journal (Uganda).
Facing the Climate – fifteen Ugandan and Swedish cartoonists get you thinking! Climate change is a priority issue for the S wedish Government. To encourage debate and offer fresh perspectives, the Swedish Embassy in Kampala together with Bayimba International Festival of the Arts in Uganda are presenting an exhibition of Ugandan and Swedish cartoonists who use humour and satire to illustrate their commitment to the climate issue. The exhibition, e ntitled “Facing the Climate,” has been produced by the S wedish Institute together with fifteen S wedish and Ugandan cartoonists namely: A rnold Abayo, Davis B amwine, Migisha Boyd, Benjamin Buhamizo, Kalwanyi Joseph, Peter Kalyamaggwa, Richard Kato, Phillip Nsamba, Edwin Rwothomio, Mugabe Victor, M agnus Bard, Riber Hansson, Helena Lindholm, Karin Sunvisson and Love Antell. Sweden is known as a country that takes environmental issues and sustainability seriously. But taking something seriously doesn’t necessarily mean viewing it without humour. In this exhibition, satire and humour are combined with a genuinely felt appeal for a more responsible attitude towards the climate issue. Humans are increasingly influencing the climate and the earth’s temperature by burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and farming livestock. Climate change is threatening our living e nvironments, causing natural
disasters and forcing people to flee their homes. A sustain able future necessitates ambitious climate, energy and environment policies. Sweden takes a leading role in efforts to secure a more sustainable society through positive a ction and a strong commitment to the global development goals and Agenda 2030. Sweden aims for an energy supply system with zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. And as individuals, in Uganda and Sweden, we can all do our part to combat climate change. The Facing the Climate exhibition examines climate change from different angles. In it, the fourteen Ugandan and Swedish cartoonists, B ayimba International Festival of the Arts and the Swedish Embassy offer an alarming and disarming view of the matter. The aim is to contribute to the public debate, fire the imagination and provide a different perspective on the climate issue. This is the first time that Facing the Climate is shown in Uganda and it is curated by Martha K azungu. We hope that the visitors will appreciate the exhibition. Welcome!
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Sweden
Love Antell Born: 1980 Lives in: Hägersten outside Stockholm Work: Illustrator and musician. Does drawings for books and periodicals My climate contribution: I don’t fly to Thailand.
Mirror #1
Mirror #2
Mirror #5
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Sweden
Magnus Bard Born: 1955 Lives in: Vallentuna outside Stockholm Work: Part-time political cartoonist on a daily newspaper, p  art-time illustrator of books and magazines My climate contribution: I look at what things really cost.
Snow showcase
Arctic ice
Rethink
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Sweden
Riber Hansson Born: 1939 Lives in: Stockholm Work: Concept drawings for books and magazines Own books, illustrations and book covers. Free art My climate contribution: I use public transport or walk, turn the lights out when I leave the room.
The ark
Ship earth
The eight day
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Sweden
Helena Lindholm Born: 1976 Lives in: Bromma outside Stockholm Work: Newspaper illustrations, children’s books, print design, courtroom sketches, caricatures My climate contribution: I choose local, organic food, sort my waste and recycle.
Reactor vases
Toxic waste
China most polluted?
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Sweden
Karin Sunvisson Born: 1981 Lives in: Belgrade, Serbia and Stockholm, Sweden Work: Editorial illustration, graphic design, digital and printed graphic art, printmaking My climate contribution: I sleep in long underpants.
Still life
Guilty pleasure
All those lies
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Arnold Abayo Born: 1987 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am an illustrator/2D animator and my goal as a creative is to give life to ideas and content for education and entertainment I majorly work on a digital canvas My climate contribution: Sunroof - The earth is left bare with no Âprotection from the forces of nature and the resulting effects are still something as dwellers of this earth need to be aware of.
Sunroof
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Davis Bamwine Born: 1985 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am a visual artist/ illustrator currently working at Mango Tree Educational Enterprises, Design Hub Kampala My climate contribution: All dried out - a composition inspired by working with Uganda and Avon Scouts Planting trees project in Jinja.
All dried out
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Migisha Boyd Born: 1991 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am a visual artist with a focus on digital media, passionate about all things creative, and currently pursuing storytelling for neo-Africa with the goal of education and empowerment of its people My climate contribution: The ailing pearl - Our redemption is in the young and upcoming seed of the ailing pearl, and we need to pro-actively empower them for this task, as well as show them the first steps by living out this vision we desire to pass on to them.
The ailing pearl
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Benjamin Buhamizo Born: 1990 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am an illustrator/cartoonist working with The New Vision. I also consult for various Non- Governmental Organizations, advertising agencies and authors My climate contribution: Green Gloria - a six year old vigilante with super powers on a mission to protect the environment.
Green Gloria
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Kalwanyi Joseph Born: 1987 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am an illustrator and graphic designer. I do illustration work that cuts across all ages. The work is done in Photoshop and traditional media My climate contribution: The effect of climate change on the world - I made this Artwork to show how human activities have greatly contributed to climate change.
The effect of climate change on the world
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Peter Kalyamaggwa Born: 1988 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am a 2D illustrator and animator My climate contribution: Life for everyone is everyone’s responsibility - How the younger generation is going to be at the forefront of facing the c limate challenge and regardless of the age or sex vocation...every one of us has a part to play to avert the effects of climate change.
Life for everyone is everyone’s responsibility
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Richard Kato Lives in: Kampala Work: I am an illustrator and cartoonist, freelancing with Vision Group, and a variety of other publishers. I am also involved in 3D computer animation and motion graphics My climate contribution: Useless debates – ridicules Ugandans who prefer to give attention to cheap talk like celebrity commentary to vital issues, like, climate change, health matters etc.
Useless debates
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Phillip Nsamba Born: 1990 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am an illustrator/graphic designer My climate contribution: Deforestation in Uganda - It’s the way some Ugandans have preferred money to nature and forget how mother nature can turn on them. “Due to deforestation, the scotching sun has no mercy for any earthly place without trees”.
phillipnsamba#CLIMATEEFFECTSINUGANDA
Deforestation in Uganda
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Edwin Rwothomio Born: 1993 Lives in: Kampala Work: I work at Crossroads Digital Multimedia as a concept artists, storyboard artists and animator. I am freelancing for Comic Art and Illustrations My climate contributions: What is the worst that could happen? - although people know that our climate is dying, they are still reluctant to do something. I created an extreme and exaggerated representation of the way climate change is affecting us because I think this would speak louder.
What is the worst that could happen?
Facing the Climate – Cartoonists from Uganda
Mugabe Victor Born: 1995 Lives in: Kampala Work: I am a graphic designer and student in building and civil engineering My climate contribution: The great predicament - I feel climate change is a constant reminder of the decisions we make in life As we go about our daily lives we have to make a choice whether to save the country or let development kill it slowly.
The great predicament
Video Video (QuickTime, 1024 x 768 .m4v-format) presenting a slide show / selection of international contributions to the exhibition. 55min
Book Hardbound book presenting the exhibition and a selection of the artists’ works. Introduction by Andreas berg, professor of Illustration, Oslo National Academy of the Arts
Facing the Climate Cartoonists from Sweden:
Cartoonists from Uganda:
Love Antell Magnus Bard Riber Hansson Helena Lindholm Karin Sunvisson
Arnold Abayo Davis Bamwine Migisha Boyd Benjamin Buhamizo Kalwanyi Joseph Peter Kalyamaggwa Richard Kato Phillip Nsamba Edwin Rwothomio Mugabe VictorÂ
www.si.se/facingtheclimate