BATIK ART BY LUKANDWA DOMINIC

I have been doing a lot of nature inspired batik paintings lately. During our country's long lock down I did a lot gardening and got a lot of inspiration from nature. 

In this batik I depicted Maasai mothers as warriors working hard to defend their families. Original batik on cotton. 

 Back in 2017 I visited one of the biggest tropical forests in Uganda where I saw lots of butterflies on the forest floor. This led to a series featuring a number of butterfly paintings.

  Most of the taxi mini buses in Kampala are white with a blue stripped line painted around them. They are found crammed in different parts of the city where they pick and drop off passengers. These are some of the batiks where I decided to push the boundary and present them in a modernist way. 

 The bodaboda or motorbike taxis is a big public transport industry throughout East Africa. With the absence of modern transport infrastructure, these motorbikes are the best choice for many because they are quick and their ability to maneuver the narrow streets clogged with traffic jam. In Kampala, the Ugandan capital, they are everywhere ridden by mostly young men who depend on the little income generated to take care their families. This batik shows a scene at a traffic stop in Kampala. Batik on cotton fabric.  

 At the end of last year, covid restrictions that have been in place since March, 2020 were relaxed. After a long time of no or little activity on my side, my friend who owns a Japanese restaurant invited me to have a pop up shop at Tank hill park in Muyenga. I was so glad to be out to show my artwork and possibly make a sale or two. The support I got from the crowd that turned up was amazing. It was also time for last minute shopping for Christmas gifts. I will never forget that experience.