INEMA ART CENTRE
The Inema Arts Center, located in the heart of Kigali in the area called Kacyiru, has been in operation for several months. The founders are Innocent and Emma, who have decided to create their own arts after working with Ivuka Arts. Their name, Inn-Emma, translates to "a blessing, a gift, a talent, to cultivate, to give and to receive" in Kinyarwanda. The center is a unique and exciting space for artists to showcase their talents.
The contemporary art scene in Kigali is expanding, with new venues like Ivuka Arts, Uburanga in Kimihurura, and Bwiza Arts in Nyarutarama, which the author plans to visit.
Inema provides space for 10 artists, therefore each producing their own style of contemporary African art. They paint, they sculpt, the work with mixed medium, they dance! Ok, maybe they don’t dance, but they’re pretty versatile and you just need to take a stroll around Inema’s grounds to get an idea of the kinds of creativity that is oozing out of these artists. That sounds kind of gross, but it’s not. It’s colourful and imaginative and inspiring.
The brothers founded Inema in 2012 in an effort to share their creative passion with Rwandans and visitors alike. Because Rwanda has very little art in schools and no professional or post-secondary art training. The visual arts aren’t yet a very valued thing in Rwandan society and Emma and Innocent are striving to provide exposure to the country’s creative community and to change this attitude, shedding light not only on the talents within the country, but also by using “creative expression to bring the community and country alive.”
Although they have high aspirations, these two and the other artists at Inema are off to a fantastic start with their center. From a Cinco de Mayo celebration to Spoken Word to an exhibition of paintings by American artist Renee Balfour, they have already held a number of extremely successful events. Additionally, they host the Inema Dance troupe, Art with a Mission, and yoga on Wednesday evenings.
In addition, the Art with a Mission project was started by Emmanuel back in 2010. This aims to educate and engage disadvantaged youth in painting, helping them develop skills and an interest in art which might even see some of them leading the way in Rwanda’s future art scene. Hence, you can visit any Saturday between 2 and 4 pm to meet the children and see what masterpieces they’re creating.
Also, Inema Dance helps to develop musical and artistic talent in over 40 kids from the Kacyiru area through a rigorous, positive and productive training program. More also the dancers perform all around Rwanda or you can pop into one of their training sessions on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday between 4:30 and 6 pm.
Inema also plays host to Nzina Artworks, a group of Rwandan women trained and then employed to sew, bead, and create everything from custom kitenge pillowcases to jewelry to goat leather bags. Furthermore, their work is displayed at Inema’s Nziza showroom alongside other women’s co-ops like Songa Designs, Abraham, and Azizi Life. So, go in for art, leave with pillowcases! It’s the logical transition.
Each of Inema’s initiatives – Art with a Mission, Inema Dance, and Nziza Artworks – strive to produce opportunities for Rwanda’s underserved communities to learn to create and then to develop livelihoods in the creative arts.
Also, there’s a lot going on in this Kacyiru space. More also stay tuned to Inema’s Facebook page and my events calendar to see what’s happening there during any given week. So, just pop in, say hello, look at some great artwork and hang out in their welcoming space.