Art in Uganda has for long been perceived as a field for the less brainy.
Back in my secondary school days, students felt that they could take it as an option because they could come up with a weird drawing and without the fear of entering a laboratory to mix some chemical with a tongue-twisting name.
In short, students took Art as the easy way out.
However, Julian Dokcen, who is teaching the Art class in the on-going 2020 Tech Camp at Gulu High School, wishes Ugandans could start giving Art the time and respect it deserves.
“Art and Science both are human attempts to understand the world and describe it better, so they have the same value,” says Julian.
To him, every art piece has a story behind it and every science invention or discovery has a story attached to it. You just don’t pick paint and drop it on canvas.
“Art needs a lot of work,” explains Julian, an Artist based in Entebbe, west of the Ugandan city of Kampala.
“To become a better artist, you have to read, research and be continuously creative so that your work is better than for those done before.”
“In developed worlds, an Art piece can feed one for a year. Or have you ever watched a movie where an Art piece is guarded like a distinguished person?” Well, it happens in real life too. That is how much they value Art. And we should, too.”
Oysters & Pearls- Uganda understands the usefulness of Art, too. That is why it is included in the Annual Tech Camp’s curriculum.
