Medium: Acrylic on canvas with fabric and buttons
Size: 100cm x 139cm
Tuyisenge Charles started his artistic journey in primary school, drawing sketches, despite art not being on the curriculum. As a result of his continuous practice, his teachers recognised his distinctive talent through his creation of sketches, portraits of public figures, geographical maps and sculptures using clay from swamps in his local vicinity. His teachers encouraged him to progress art further.
It was in secondary school that Tuyisenge studied art as a subject for the first time, which included the depiction of still life, nature, portraits of living people and imaginative composition in colour, where he started painting with colour.
Tuyisenge progressed to kyambogo university in Kampala and studied art and design, which incorporated interior design and landscaping. After his studies, Tuyisenge moved to Rwanda and got a job as a swimming instructor in a sports club. While he was waiting around for clients, it was then he realised that he was wasting his time and talent by not focusing on his true passion in arts and interior design.
One day, he started creating sketches of gorillas with a black pen on a manila paper and a man came along and asked how much he was selling his art. Tuyisenge told him it was not for sale, but the man was adamant and asked for 20 gorilla art pieces for his hotel in Rwanda. This was Tuyisenge’s first commission, filled with excitement this was the beginning of Tuyisenge career as a professional artist, which he combines with interior design.
Tuyisenge works includes a range of subjects from the depiction of nature to fashion and portraits. His distinctive style includes the utilisation of buttons in his paintings.
JonaQuestArt is proud to show one of Tuyisenge’s unique pieces titled “Moody queens“, inspired by his respect for women their multiple roles and caring abilities. Moody Queens captures the different characters and moods of his mum and her twin sister. His work in this piece acknowledges the different temperament of women.
Tuyisenge works are in a number of private collections in Africa and Europe. Tuyisenge Charles was born in Uganda on 15th Sept 1977 to Rwandan parents who migrated to Uganda in the sixties. Tuyiseng lives and works in Kigali in Rwanda and Kampala in Uganda.
