Bathsheba Okwenje

Lives and works in Rwanda


Exhibitions

2023 |  Aesthetic Justice: Love and Language in Exile, in conversation with Bindi Vora, Autograph Gallery online. Curated by Bindi Vora

2023 | Darker, Lighter, Puffy, Flat, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, Austria (with Radha May). Curated by Laura Amann

2022 | Njabala: this is not how. Makerere Art Gallery, Kampala, Uganda. Curated by Martha Kazungu

2020 | Freedom of Movement in Unfolding Questions, Codes and Contours, Tromsø Center for Contemporary Art, Tromsø, Norway. Curated by Rande Grov Berger

2020 | My Mother Is Forgetting My Face, Gallery Entree, Bergen, Norway. Curated by Martha Kazungu

2019 | When The Towel Drops Vol 1 I Italy, Institute of Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy (with Radha May), curated by Claudia D'Alonzo

2019 | Geopolitics, Alliance Francaise, Kampala, Uganda. Curated by Nikissi Serumaga

2019 | Festival della Peste! , Il Lazzaretto, Milan, Italy (with Radha May)

2019 | When We Return, TAKS Center, Gulu, Uganda. Curated by Kara Blackmore

2019 | Dark Pasts – Optimistic Futures, London School of Economics, London, UK. Curated by Kara Blackmore

2018 | Highlights: The RISD Graduate Thesis Book, Sol Koffler Gallery, Rhode Island, USA. Curated by Jennifer Liese

2018 | KLA ART 2018, Uganda National Museum,  Kampala, Uganda.

2018 | What Can Be Seen, Spring Break Art Show, NY, USA (with Radha May). Curated by Natasha Becker

2017 | The Following Scenes Will Be Deleted, UnionDocs, NY, USA (with Radha May). Curated by Mathilde Walker-Billaud

2016 | When The Towel Drops, Fabbrica Del Vapore, Milan, Italy (with Radha May). Curated by Studio Azzuro

2015 | Labor of Love, 250 Varet , NY, USA (with Radha May). Curated by Kim Meijer

2014 | When The Towel Drops Vol 1 | Italy, Granoff Center for the Arts, RI, USA (with Radha May)

2013 | Document, Document, Document, Sol Koffler Gallery, RI, USA. Curated by Sameer Farooq

2013 | HERS, The Attic Gallery, Delhi, India

2012 | ICASA, Cape Town International Convention Center, Cape Town, South Africa

2012 | Not Me, Not Mine, Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa

2012 | Not Me, Not Mine, Namib-CulturalCentre, Windhoek, Namibia

2003 | Something out of Nothing, World Summit on Information Society, Geneva, Switzerland


Public Art

2019 | Freedom of Movement, Tromsø Center for Contemporary Art,Tromsø, Norway. Curated by Randi Grov Berger

2019 | Freedom of Movement, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway. Curated by Randi Grov Berger

2019 | Gang Kikome and Other Things We Left Behind, TAKS Center, Gulu, Kampala Uganda. Curated by Kara Blackmore

2018 | Gang Kikome and Other Things We Left Behind, Uganda National Museum, Kampala Uganda. Curated by Kara Blackmore

2014 | Sweet Angel, Providence Rhode Island

2013 | Reminiscence, Delhi, India

2013 | Adda Baazi, Delhi, India

2013 | Ashobi, Delhi, India; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda


Conferences / Symposia / Talks

2023 | Black Brazil Art - Flows (IN) flow: Transitory

2022 |  Medialities, Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, University of Bayreuth, Germany

2020 | Surviving and Thriving, Firoz Lalji Center for Africa, London School of Economics, London, UK.

2019 | Conversations: Art, Objects and Archives, Origins Center Museum, Johannesburg, SA

2019 | Politics of Return, London School of Economics, Gulu, Uganda

2019 | Being in Place: Here and Home, Kigali Photofest, Kigali, Rwanda

2018 | The Grammar of Images: When Art Speaks Back, Uganda National Museum, Kampala, Uganda

2014 | Nile Mansions Hotel, Document, Document, Document, Rhode Island School of Design, RI, USA

2014 | Colonial Archives, Brown University, RI, USA

2014 | Archiving a Revolution, Left Forum, NY, USA

2013 | Working on Gender Complexities, InFocus, RI, USA

2013 | On Failure, A Better World By Design, RI USA


Teaching

Rhode Island School of Design, Co-Lecturer, Aesthetic Journalism


Residencies / Fellowships / Awards

2019 - 2022 | Visiting Fellow: Firoz Lalji Center for Africa / London School of Economics, UK

2018 | Residency: Uganda Arts Trust / London School of Economics, Uganda

2018 | Residency: Tokyo Seeds / JR EAST, Tokyo, Japan

2013 | Fellowship: Maharam Steam Fellowship, Delhi, India

2014 | Award: Creative Arts Council Grant

2012-14 | Award: Presidential Scholarship


Papers

2021 |  Repairing Representational Wounds: Artistic and Curatorial Approaches to Transition After War. Co-Authored with Kara Blackmore. Critical Arts Journal. UNISA Press.

2019 | Archival Transitions: artistic and curatorial connections in Uganda

2019 | Visa applications: emotional tax and priviledged passports

2016 | Interview With Radha May: A Global Collective With a Single Identity, Camera Obscura, Vol31 No. 3, Duke University


Citations / Catalogues / Interviews / Press

2022 |  Decolonising State & Society in Uganda: The Politics of Knowledge & Public Life, Katherine Bruce-Lockhart, James Currey Publisher.

2022 | The East African

2022 | Kampala Sun

2022 | Apprise Media

2021 | The Guardian

2021 | Dinamo Press

2021 | African Women in Photography

2021 | Njabala: towards activating the pluralities of Ugandan Womanhood as a site of resistance. Presented by Martha Kazungu

2021 |  Girl Head: Feminism and Film Materiality by Genevieve Yue

2020 | Contemporary &

2020 | Sqoop

2020 | Art Parent Index

2020 | Playboy

2019 | Art Tribune, Italy

2019 | Il Foglio, Italy

2019 | ID - Vice, Italy

2019 | Digicult

2019 | Something We Africans Got, Issue 9

2019 | Walking Through Walls, Catalogue

2019 | Representation and responses: Refugee Voices in Uganda, Thesis presented by Meital Kupfer

2019 | When We Return, Catalogue

2018 | RISD: Pushing Boundaries in Creative Research

2018 | The Art Newspaper

2018 | Art Africa, Issue 14

2018 | Politics of Return, Catalogue

2018 | Uganda Arts Trust, Interview

2018 | The Collective Unearthing:Censored Scenes from Post War Italian Cinema, Contemporary &.

2018 | Communicating Academic Research Through Art, London School of Economics

 Press

2016 | The Community as Studio, South Asian Women’s Collective


Using Format