Browsing by Author "Mayanja, Richard Weazher"

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Soot as a Medium for Drawing
(Kyambogo University [unpublished work], 2015-12) Mayanja, Richard Weazher
The study carried out; "A studio exploration into possibilities of using soot as a medium for Drawing". It was intended to investigate practical ways that can qualify soot as an exceptionally recommendable medium of drawing. The study was conducted under three objectives; (a)To examine how acclaimed visual artists have applied soot as a medium in drawing, (b)To establish attributes that can aid the use of soot in drawing as a discipline, (c)To experiment with the potentials of soot and produce drawings . The study used experimental survey structure to investigate into potentiality of soot in drawing through application of various techniques and selected proverbs as an underlying direction of meaning. To fulfil objective a and b, the researcher used interview, direct observation, Library and archival survey methods selected population; thirty (30) respondents and thirty (30) artworks from acclaimed artists respectively . The information from that population guided the researcher during studio experimentation in fulfilment of objective c. Basing on the related literature, the study discovered no acclaimed artist in Uganda has ever experimented with soot to create drawing projects and it is minimally used by artists in the rest of the world with no proper documentation revealing their studio processes. The finding for objective c; through surface as a drawing attribute comprising of bond papers, canvas, plywood, and mounting cards, revealed that soot is a medium that can be used to register designs. The study further revealed that wavy, smudging, hatching and automatic under the technique attribute can be attained by dragging different tools on surfaces. The third attribute which is media comprising of chalk, charcoal, powder colours used in some compositions to complement soot the primary medium revealed that soot is a medium that can easily blend with other media. Soot also exhibited the remarkable potentiality to portray Content in the study which was based on following Selected Ganda proverbs inspired by musical instruments; Endege ziba nyingi neziyogaana and Engoma ennene weri entono tevuga. The Ganda musical instruments like Endege (rattles), Ensaasi (shakers) and Engoma (drum) were selected as inspirational objects to enhance the study and soot was still profound in capturing their form and creates a sense of depth. The findings in this guide book which are presented in both text and photographic formats were interpreted in consideration of techniques, surfaces, media and content attributes. They affirm soot to be a commendable medium for drawing. The research in an investigative sense was limited to behaviour of soot of few selected surfaces and media. Therefore this study recommends further research in a need to find out its reaction on other materials like stones, glasses, plaster and media which are outside the scope of this study.
Visualising embedded knowledge in indigenous iron artifact designs of the baganda in Uganda through drawings
(Kyambogo University (Unpublised work), 2025-10) Mayanja, Richard Weazher
Indigenous iron artifact designs are considered relevant in many communities around the globe due to their connection to traditional knowledge, spiritual beliefs, meanings, aesthetics, functional value and tangible links for technological advancements. Therefore, various societies have exerted efforts in having their indigenous concepts visualized through profiling for revival and posterity. However, this was not the case with the indigenous iron artifact designs of the Baganda in Uganda, irrespective of their unceasing relevance. This study was set out to visualise embedded knowledge in indigenous iron artifact designs of the Baganda in Uganda through drawings for posterity. The study was guided by three objectives: to analyse the historical relevance of Indigenous iron artifact designs of the Baganda in Uganda through interpretive drawings, to assess the extent to which indigenous knowledge of iron artifact designs of the Baganda in Uganda has survived in the contemporary creative space. to extract the embedded knowledge in the indigenous artifact designs of the Baganda in Uganda through analytical design drawings. The study was qualitative and employed an ethnographic research design to capture the production and consumption of indigenous iron artifact designs. The theoretical framework was crafted from three theories: Material culture theory, which was the primary theory supported by Articulation theory and Adoption theory. The study population consisted of blacksmiths, household users, and dealers in trading indigenous iron artifacts of the Baganda from Buddu, Kyaggwe, and Ssese counties of Buganda. Two sampling techniques; purposive and snowball, were used to select a study sample of twenty-seven (27) respondents from the study population. A combination of data collection methods was employed to attain triangulated data, and they consisted of Semi-structured interviews, library and archival search, participant observation, photography, and studio experimentation. The collected data was tabulated and analyzed using a narrative inquiry approach by coding and identifying themes to discuss the aspects of trustworthiness in the collected data, and informing studio explorations. The study findings indicate that the historical relevance of indigenous iron artifact designs in the lives of the Baganda fostered the sustainability of the political, religious, and socio-economic fabric of the Baganda. Although ironworking as an indigenous practice in Buganda experienced setbacks emanating from factors such as colonialism, modern education, religious shift, political insurgencies, and globalization, which were instrumental in the decline of smelting, forging tools, indigenous iron artifact designs minimally survived through oral traditions, improvisation of substitutive materials, continuation of cultural practices, musealisation and adoption of their features into contemporary creative arts and design productions. The study concludes that the indigenous iron artifact designs of the Baganda survive as repositories of embedded knowledge that have been gradually ignored and undervalued by mainstream design and visual culture scholarship. Through rigorous studio-based analysis and theoretical reflection approaches demonstrated in this study, it becomes clear that these iron artifacts incorporate multifaceted knowledge systems; technical functionality, spiritual representation aspects, symbolism, and aesthetics, which deserve immortalization.