Dimensions: 31.5 x 23.5 inches; Media: Acrylic on canvas ; Country of origin: USA; Year of creation: 2023; Description: A khanga is a piece of cloth, used in East African, and particularly Tanzanian cultures. While they are worn by Tanzanian women, Khangas are much more than simple pieces of clothing. A khanga is a sling when a mother needs to carry her newborn. It is a shawl when her children are cold. It is a handkerchief when she wants to wipe their tears. It is an apron when she cleans the house. It is a towel, a tablecloth, a curtain - it can be anything a woman needs to sustain her household. A khanga is a symbol of a woman’s femininity, and her responsibilities. Being born and brought up in Tanzania, I have grown up surrounded by women in my family and in my community, wearing khangas. It is a symbol of femininity to wrap a Khanga around the forehead. However, when the idea of femininity and responsibilities come up, a woman’s responsibilities are often limited to her household, and taking care of her husband and children. As a girl who was born and raised in Tanzania, I often face such social norms and stereotypes which have sought to suppress my ideas, beliefs and identity. However, I believe that a woman’s gender should not be one which restricts her, rather one that empowers her. This is what I hope to convey with my painting.
The word "Uhuru" is Swahili for "Freedom". My piece, Uhuru, made with acrylic paint, depicts a young girl wearing a khanga on her head, smiling. While her khanga is a mixture of light and dark blue hues, the colors on her khanga have been designed to overflow, leaving the fabric, and coloring her surroundings, as they turn into hues of yellow, orange, pink, green, and red. Through the use of color, the message trying to be shared is that a woman’s gender or femininity (which is symbolized by the khanga), should not oppress her ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. Instead, it is this femininity which should empower her and fuel her thoughts and creativity. The girl’s khanga has a pattern with lots of butterflies trapped inside the fabric. As the color leaks through, so do the butterflies - as they become free and turn into shades of golden. The use of color here is intentional. The gold symbolizes the value of freedom. The free golden butterflies act as a metaphor, mirroring the journey of the girl’s ideas, from being oppressed and kept hidden in the fabric, to being expressed and coloring the world.
This painting is not only a representation of my story, but of all people who have fought for their freedom to speak, for their freedom of expression, ideas, and identity. It is a representation of the difference they can make, when they have the freedom to do so.