Joshua Biseruka

The artist

A few words about your artistic journey

My journey as a visual artist started when I was in primary school where I used to imitate the images from the journals. Students and teachers used to tell me that I am talented in drawing which motivated me to spend most of my time in that. Later, I continued my studies in a school of arts which helped me to be who am today.

How long have you been an artist ?

I have been an artist for 6 years. Since 2014 I started doing art as my career.

Why did you apply for this grant ? How will the grant support you ?

My biggest motivation to apply for this grant was to raise my means so that I can contribute in the artistic sector by launching a graphic novel book made in Rwanda. This grant will support me in so many different ways especial financially through transportation, collecting data and buying materials.

What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency ?

My objectives include starting a strong studio of arts in Rwanda. Later on, I would like to support young artists to develop their careers through working in my studio.

His residency

What did you achieve during this creative residency ? What is the result (created work) ? Who was involved in the creation process ?

This grant helped me to travel the three out of five provinces of my country. I collected datas from different people and sketching a huge number of drawings from these places, hoping to visit again two left provinces soon for closing my printed project book research in the end of this year.

With this grant, I bought digital tablet for updating my quality of production. While touring, I tried to create small jobs for helping my friends who were very affected by the pandemic situation. I donated more than two hundred facemasks to the poor in my community. I created scrolling story with drawings showing the real image of my country during the days of the pandemic. For those who don’t like to read, I made a video from my drawings.

How do you think these activities contribute to a reflection on today’s world, in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and/or on the shaping of the future ?

The story itself is related to the COVID-19 crisis, and the created artworks reflect on today’s world as they are appearing in digital medium. I think they would appear again in the shaping of the future because they will be recorded as part of the history that the world has known.

How did you feel during the residency ? And at the end of it ?

Art is my hobby and my job, nothing on this world could make me feel more joy than when I’m busy in creating stuffs. I was so proud when I was traveling in different cities and in the countryside, with my pencil. All people looked at me with surprised emotions.