Divine Feminine: An Art Exhibition Celebrating Female Power | New times

Rwandan painter Lewis Manishimwe, also known as Manishart, organized a solo art exhibition which he dubbed “Divine Feminine” which aims to honor the power of women, celebrate their beauty and encourage them.

The exhibition kicked off Friday evening at 7 p.m. on November 27 at the Kigali Soul Art Gallery in Gasabo District, Nyarutarama and will run until December 16.

“This is my second personal exhibition. I tried to express myself and expose my way of thinking. Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, I have cared deeply about my career as a visual artist. I painted each piece here with more care and that makes each piece unique, ”he said.

Speaking to Manishimwe during the exhibition space, he said the exhibition will feature 17 works that he has been working on for one year and six months, each work has its own name and description and all works are at to sell.

The 26-year-old explained that the main purpose of the exhibit is to spread a positive message about women’s empowerment to Rwandan society and beyond.

“I want to show the world how powerful, intelligent, caring and amazing women are. Women are very important creatures to celebrate and honor. I wanted to express myself and use art to empower them and make them feel confident and valued, ”he says.

“Art has a great power of love and expression. I tried to put forward the social issues a woman faces in society and why the world has to embrace female power, ” he added.

Manishimwe revealed that he was inspired by people, different stories from his friends, history and community beliefs about women.

“I was inspired by the story of a friend of mine, we’ve been together for a long time and I know her so much. I was aware of how much she is capable of, but I was shocked at how much she was not confident enough to show what she is capable of. When I realized this, I thought she could be her now, but it could be my sister or any other woman. That’s how the idea came about, ” he shared.

“I am sure that everyone who is lucky enough to attend this exhibition will receive different messages that will change their mindset about women. And for me, that’s my goal, ” he added.

The visual artist, however, said he has started to receive positive feedback, which he says not only the beauty and message behind his works but also the creativity they are made of is unique with stylish frames.

Clement Iraguha, founder of Kigali Soul Art Gallery, said he was intrigued by Manishimwe’s works as they are made of great creativity and also convey an interesting message about empowering women.

He said that Manishimwe’s artwork is made of high technical quality and he was able to capture different emotions and activities that clearly show the power of women and that would grab everyone’s attention.

He also added that they were very excited to host their first solo exhibition as a new gallery, but look forward to hosting other different exhibitions and supporting other talented artists.

Fatma Usanase, one of the exhibition participants, said she was fascinated by Manishimwe’s works due to their unique style of painting and decorated frames. Adding that she enjoys seeing the world embrace the power of women and what a woman is capable of.

She revealed that she particularly liked two pieces titled “It’s Me” and “Midnight Sun” where the artist illustrates the value of a woman in society that these two pieces are more diverse, their composition and their stories are deeper.

Manishimwe said his exhibition has started to experience success, calling on all art lovers to continue supporting the artists and their works.

Iraguha also pointed out that the art gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. to all art lovers and guests.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com