A collector, a historian, an arbitrator and an advisor, each of his roles stems from his genuine interest in the arts. The functions Thom Ogonga assumes are all indicators of the renovations and revolutions occurring on the local art scene. Add to the list the designation ‘voyeur’ as Thom Ogonga beholds a lucid vision of the abundant future of art on his side of the globe.
Ward manages to express his ideas and thoughts in a sheer endless amount of forms. Even as somebody who is familiar with a lot of his works, he always surprises me, he always makes me wonder. Although the content can be heavy and emotional, there is always a lightness in his work. A smile is not forbidden.
“People do not come to me, because I come to them. I exhibit in their environment, just on the street. That’s taboo breaking. They often do not understand what art is all about but they are curious and ask questions. When I have not exhibited for four months they ask when the next exhibition will be. Some even send their children to me so they can learn to draw. So there is a radical change going on in terms of the appreciation of contemporary art in Bamako. Fortunately it’s not limited to the international art scene!”
Like a true sadist, Kemang Wa Lehulere’s show disavows any grand finale by always opening up “the end.” We leave the show content, filled but not certain with what exactly.
“I discovered that I come from a family of practitioners, of healers, something that in the family…a Christian family, was silenced actually. It was never spoken about, even till today,” he reveals.