VIRTUAL WORLDS & VISUAL ART : EVANS AKANYIJUKA

Evans Akanyijuka is one of a handful of visual artists in Uganda that dare to voyage into the phenomena of virtual reality. Digital art, how it exists in the first place and how it operates amongst other art forms on the contemporary art scene, is seemingly still a thing of alien utterance here in Uganda. It appears that the question of tangibility in conjunction with the matter of replication within digital spaces cultivate a certain climate of hesitation with regards to authenticity. This is especially amongst lovers of the quintessential traditional art forms such as painting on canvas and drawing on paper. However, with the shifting dynamic in the global contemporary art sphere lately, the conversation is quite progressively becoming less about what the art is and more about what the art does. This is not only manifesting in the materiality and practice around traditional art forms but also, it has further opened up myriad doors for eccentric and newfangled art forms such as installation, performance and new media under which digital art falls.

Evans Akanyijuka, Tai Tai [Symbiosis of Dreams], photography and collage, 2023.

A Fusion of photography, photo manipulation and AI generated images, Akanyijuka’s collage works present characters existing in surreal environments which feel like something straight out of a curious dreamer’s mind. Starting out creating lyric videos and cover art for music, the artist has undergone a number of notable thematic stages. From creating images purely for the aesthetic to making art around climate activism, to his latest introspective series that explores the potential that awaits discovery, within the depths of the unrealized. The latter features subjects of African or Black descent gauging from their physical complexions. The characters are adorned in cowrie shells and crowned with halos in the form of tangerines. While the shells spur a state of traditional cultural enlightenment, the tangerine halos, an intentional choice as well, strives at introducing the audience to the idea of understanding the “state of righteousness" as being fluid and subjective. The artist challenges the human inclination to dismiss what we do not fully comprehend as opposed to unprejudiced reasoning. Some of the works have Christian religious undertones appearing in the forms of a bible, a dove, cross or angel wings.

Furthermore, the subjects in these works exist within deserted desert valleys, a gesture that points us in the direction of uncertainty, of the unknown. The desert has often been associated with hopelessness and despair because of its unforgiving physical conditions.  However, with reference to history of ancient civilizations, it is also widely said to symbolize a space of clarity, revelations and spiritual enlightenment. This is because an individual is stripped of modern life’s myriad distractions thus giving way to a state of deep meditation on one's own inner thoughts and emotions. Akanyijuka’s work borrows from this sentiment as he creates in search of answers, a process in within which he discovers new questions. These cited ideas therefore intersect to create a space for reflection on what we think we know about what is morally, culturally and divinely right and what isn't. The artist therefore doesn’t give answers, but rather, he guides the audience to open mindedly find and face their own questions.

Evans Akanyijuka, Cleave [Within The Depths Of The Unrealized, Lies The Potential], photography and collage, 2023 

More recently, the artist is experimenting with video collages that he derives from some of his original digital collage works. Titled, “Symbiosis of Dreams,” these fabrications depict images whose subjects and environments are seen to be in a loop-state of mutation, transforming into several unimaginable versions and possibilities in a matter of seconds. “I perceive this work as dreams stemming from two distinct minds, showcasing the interplay between my imagination and that of the AI. The title captures the idea of a harmonious co-creation between a human and AI, relating to a shared dreaming experience. The concept of two distinct minds gives rise to several contemplative questions. If AI is fundamentally built based entirely on human ideas and experiences, how is it able to have an independent mind?  Could this mean that AI can be equal to or better at being humanly creative than humans themselves? Is it capable of unlocking other dimensions of knowledge to create things that are entirely nonexistent or non-generatable in the human mind? Are we sure that artists could have thought of the same ideas while working on their own? Have humans created a better version of themselves? These questions arise because besides providing an image and instructions to set it in motion, the artist isn't fully aware of all the possible outcomes in this process. This potentially brings us to a possible epilogue that AI evolves along with humans and vice versa.

The videos are created using Runway ML, a browser-based platform that allows ideation and generation of stylized videos from text or images. These are juxtaposed with ethereal music and or audios that are generated using programs such as Audiogen, ChatGPT and Suno AI. In this series, the artist draws on his own cultural heritage history as he tries to reflect on how these past stories influence our contemporary world today. The costumes adorned by subjects in the video artworks are a collaborative result with multimedia artist Kevin Murungi aka afro_muru who prints traditional culture inspired motifs on upcycled fabric to create distinctive high street attire. The artist explains that these works represent a journey of remembrance and observation from personal experiences growing up as well as his surroundings.

Evans Akanyijuka, Asapan [Symbiosis of Dreams], photography and collage, 2023

Speaking of AI and the ongoing debate about AI competing with living artists, one is soon prompted to ask the million-dollar question. “Can AI replace human beings?” The artist laughs. He then says that AI may not necessarily replace human beings, but the two are destined to become closely integrated in the fast-approaching future. At the mention of this, my mind almost immediately races back to the futuristic Netflix series, “Black Mirror,” a show that had me in a formidable chokehold for an entire week owing to the level of absurdity with which this idea is manifested. However, rather than viewing Artificial Intelligence as a threat, Akanyijuka considers this an opportunity to unlock the portal to interesting creative collaborations and conversations. An extension of humans in both intellect and creativity.

When asked about his aspirations, Akanyijuka looks at joining the world of NFTs and selling his creations on online digital markets such as OpenSea, Foundation, and Tezos; playgrounds for digital art lovers and collectors.  The term NFT translates to Non-fungible Token which fundamentally means items with a unique digital identity. NFTS are transacted in cryptocurrencies such as ETH [Ethereum].

Evans Akanyijuka

Written by Gloria Coutinho

coutinhogloria131@gmail.com