Aaron Samual Mulenga
President Bana, 2016.
About:
My name is Aaron Samuel Mulenga. I am a Zambian born in Lusaka but lived in Kitwe. I am currently in my third year majoring in Fine Art (sculpture) and Anthropology.
Instruments of Power
I made this body of work commemorating the Zambian presidents both past and present. The work also serves as a reminder of the position of power that state leaders hold.
President Lungu, 2016.
During the time I was working on this series, I was looking ahead to the election period that would be taking place in Zambia in the month of August 2016. One of the biggest drawbacks of presidential elections is the amount of violence and unnecessary death that takes place during this period. As the series grows I hope to bring attention to this issue and stress the importance of peace within the nation as leadership is chosen.
President sata, 2016.
Over the past few years, Zambia has seen two of its presidents pass away whilst in office, which has resulted in a rapid shift of “the instruments of power” from one leader to another. It is a tragic thing for a country to lose a leader, let alone one who is still in office. My intention for this work is to begin a conversation regarding our leaders and the role they play in governing a country.
President Kaunda, 2016.
My choice to use chitenge, which is considered traditional fabric in Zambia, is my way of grounding the artwork in a visual language that can easily be understood by the people (especially those who use it on a daily basis). I am fortunate that the fabric can easily be recognized across the continent, which in turn gives the artwork the opportunity to be read widely as it is seen by different viewers. (text ASM Inspired site, August 2016)
I see this as the beginning of a timeless series that will grow even as the instruments of power continue to shift from one leader to the next.