African Illustrations

An homage to Rwanda and Africa


©2024 Bukuru I. A series Inspired by Ugandan supermodel Kiara Kabukuru.
Bukuru or the first born in a set of twin in Kinyarwanda.

Bukuru I is for all the firstborns who follow all the rules, never cross the line and lead by example because they understand that the privilege of experimenting and making mistakes will never be bestowed upon them.
©2024 Bukuru II. A series Inspired by Ugandan supermodel Kiara Kabukuru.
Bukuru or the first born in a set of twin in Kinyarwanda.

Bukuru II is for all the firstborns who learn how to parent their siblings even when they are still children themselves. They are caretakers, teachers, policymakers…Roles that they seriously take on despite their young age.
©2024 Bukuru III. A series Inspired by Ugandan supermodel Kiara Kabukuru.
Bukuru or the first born in a set of twin in Kinyarwanda.

Bukuru III is for all the firstborns who learn how to fight for their siblings survival against all odds. They are warriors trapped in a hard shell that few emotions can penetrate.They are protectors and survivors.
©2020 Your Ancestors are whispering in your ear…
If an Ancestor was to time travel in this modern disorienting world and by some magical fateful moment end up seeing this painting, i want the painting to be a post sign for the person. 
A post sign that says to them, You belong; this is Home, You can rest…
Our Ancestors are a part of our internal design as much as our external world.They may not be here physically as we knew them but they never really leave. Always present, not just a part of us, but all around us, part of nature; part of every fragment that makes our world and they are always interacting with us.
So, when the present  feels chaotic, quiet your mind and listen. Your ancestors are whispering in your ear…
©2019 Rosalie Gicanda, the last queen of Rwanda
An homage to the last queen of Rwanda, Rosalie Gicanda.
This was warmly requested by someone who had known her and shared fond memories with her before her tragic murder during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Out of respect to their private bond, i did two different versions. One that will stay private and this one that i could share with the world.
©2021 Karisimbi
An homage to my grandmothers and all Rwandan grandmothers. Resilient and proud women whose eyes saw it all and still remained dignified and graceful. Some I’ve met in real life, for many, we met through stories. They are the monuments in my life, the highest peak of grace, dignity, and compassion that I could ever hope to reach.
©2021 Princess Emma Bakayishonga
Inspired by the beautiful portrait of Emma Bakayishonga,daughter of Yuhi V Musinga and sister to Mutara III Rudahigwa.
©2021 Jeune fille Suri, Ethiopie
Inspired by a young Suri girl photograph.
The Suri are an agro-pastoral people that inhabit part of the West Omo zone in Ethiopia as well as parts of neighbouring South Sudan.
As part of their rituals, female members of the tribe have distinctive clay discs inserted into holes in their bottom lip, which are considered signs of beauty.
©2021 Femme Wodaabe, Tchad
Inspired by a photograph of a young Wodaabe woman from Chad .
The Wodaabe or Bororo are a small subgroup of the Fulani ethnic group.
They are known for their beauty (both men and women), elaborate attire and rich cultural ceremonies.
They are traditionally nomadic cattle-herders and traders in the Sahel, with migrations stretching from southern Niger, through northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon, southwestern Chad and the western region of the Central African Republic.
©2021 Fillette Songhai, Niger
Inspired by a vintage photograph of a young girl from the Songhai Empire .
The Songhai Empire was a large and powerful West African civilization from about 1450-1600, centred on the middle reaches of the Niger River in what is now central Mali and eventually extending west to the Atlantic coast and east into Niger and Nigeria.
©2021 Femme Fulani, Guinée
Inspired by a vintage photograph of a Fulani woman from Guinée.
The Fulani, or Fula People, or Fulɓe are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region.
The Fula people are traditionally believed to have roots in peoples from North Africa and the Middle East, who later intermingled with local West African ethnic groups. As an ethnic group, they are bound together by the Fula language, their religion (Islam), history and culture.
©2021 A meditation
A nod to the cult of Ryangombe.
Christella Bijou, 2021, Samburu warrior digital art with a headdress, beads and a spear
©2021 Guerrier Samburu, Kenya
Inspired by a Samburu warrior photograph.
The Samburu people are a semi-nomadic people that live in the Samburu County of Northen Kenya.
The Samburu people are closely related to the Maasai tribe who also live in East Africa. Both these tribes speak a similar language, derived from Maa.

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