Medina, the female chimp of Ngamba Island who has a flair for painting. PHOTOS | MORGAN MBABAZI
What you need to know:
The exhibition, held on May 26-28, was to fundraise for the construction of a veterinary medical ward for sick chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (Chimpanzee Trust) in Ngamba Island in Lake Victoria.
For three days, the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala hosted a unique art exhibition titled Jewels of the Jungle by Ugandan artist Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi and Medina, a female chimp painter.
The exhibition, held on May 26-28, was to fundraise for the construction of a veterinary medical ward for sick chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (Chimpanzee Trust) in Ngamba Island in Lake Victoria.
Eight-year-old Medina is one of main attractions at the sanctuary for her artistic flair.
Describing his collaborative painting experience with Medina, Nnyanzi said, “Chimps are show-offs by nature. And they love playing, seeking attention and are good at drama. They are extremely intelligent, determined and decisive. When they have decided on something do not waste your time trying to distract them.”
“Medina is talented, emotional and knows her rights. For her to continue painting, she will stop at intervals to demand groundnuts. You would say it was kitu kidogo (bribe) for her painting. She uses both her hands, teeth, mouth and tongue to paint. She is a free spirited artist like a human being would want to do,” Nnyanzi added. Â
The chimpanzee trust needs $25,000 for the construction of the medical ward. The exhibition was only one part of its fundraising efforts. Curated by Robinah Nansubuga, the exhibition also presented a selection of works by artists Taga Nuwagaba (Uganda) and Barbara Hollweg (US) who interpreted the perceptions of wildlife in various contexts.
Both Nuwagaba and Hollweg’s paintings and photographs portray a wide range of wild animals and birds.
Nnyanzi and Medina collaborated on two paintings in acrylics: Escape to Ngamba Island and Surviving in the Wilderness, telling of the plight of chimps that have survived poachers’ snares.
In Surviving in the Wildness, Nnyanzi told The EastAfrican that he used a lot of green paint to show the lush natural habitat where wild animals live. He also used splashes of red as to represent the blood that the chimps shed at the hands of poachers, but toned it down with birds and animals figures to represent hope and survival.
In Escape to Ngamba Island, Nnyanzi says he drew a boat sailing into the sunset towards the island, with silhouettes of wildlife officials to tell the story of how the rescued chimps get to Ngamba Island after they have been rescued.
The Chimpanzee Trust is a non-governmental organisation that was established in 1998 as a partnership between national and international conservation organisations.
It is located on Ngamba Island in Lake Victoria, 23km away from Entebbe on 100 acres of rainforest. Since 1998, the Chimpanzee Trust has been providing care for orphaned and rescued chimpanzee on Ngamba Island, starting with 11 chimpanzees; to now 49 chimpanzees.
Like any animal care facility, the sanctuary treats cases of debilitating disease or severe injuries that require an individual chimpanzee to be temporarily separated from the group for treatment and care.
