Cattle are a significant status symbol in Rwanda, and visiting the nation’s rural parts nearly guarantees you will come across these magnificent cows with long horns. You could even have to scrape their dung off of your shoes. or, with hope, putting it on the wall of your living room.
For many years, cow dung has been used to produce Imigongo, a remarkable and genuinely original art form that is exclusive to Rwanda. The vibrant geometric patterns that characterize traditional Imigongo paintings, despite their unusual medium, would blend in perfectly with most contemporary interior design styles.
The name “Imigongo” comes from the legend that, in the 18th century, Prince Kakira was the first to use the ordure of these revered animals to decorate the interior walls of his house, mixed with ash and clay for color.
Today, Imigongo Artwork has mostly migrated off walls and is typically painted on portable wooden panels, plates, or wall hangings, which are popular with tourists. The paintings are composed of vibrant colors sourced from natural materials-mustard yellow, rusty red from the natural soil, white from kaolin or white clay, and black from the ashes of banana peels.
During the horrific Rwandan Genocide in the 1990s, this traditional skill was on the verge of extinction. Fortunately, though, a few cooperatives in the Eastern Province are still there today, ensuring the survival and even growth of this art form. Most of the artists are women, many of whom were left widows by the genocide.
Travel by bus three and a half hours southeast of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, to the town of Nyakarambi in the Kirehe area, which is the epicenter of Imigongo production. Visits to Imigongo workshops are available in the vicinity of town; the most well-known is the Kakira Imigongo Cooperative, which bears the name of the prince who invented the skill.
Here, you can witness ladies make Imigongo and even enter a bewilderingly beautiful house that is furnished in the Imigongo manner. There are numerous other workshops along the road that runs between Nyakarambi and Rusumo, and the main thoroughfare in the town is flanked with quaint planters that have been adorned with Imigongo artwork.
What you need to Know before You Go
Kakira is situated around 3 kilometers south of the Nyakarambi bus station along the major route. You have three options: stroll, take a motorbike taxi, or, if your bus is heading to Rusumo, persuade the driver to allow you to get off a bit before the designated Nyakarambi stop.
On most weekdays, it is open. A neighbor might be able to assist in finding one of the painters to open it for you if it looks closed.
Alternatively, you can purchase a traditional geometric or spiral pattern, or try some of the more contemporary zoological and cultural scenery, if you feel like taking your chances getting an Imigongo through customs.
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