Sanaa Gateja

Artist Sanaa Gateja is an exceptional artist and jeweller and has been nicknamed ‘The Bead King’ in his native Uganda. He derives this name from being the inventor of beads made from recycled paper which he uses to create pieces of various designs and compositions. Sanaa’s work could be described as mixed-media experimental abstract art. He holds a wealth of experience having studied in the London College of Design and in the Universita Internazionale dell’Arte in Florence.

He is currently working on an on-going project that explores African history through the conceptual framework of a journey. Due to the lack of locally written history in Uganda, Sanaa believes that art can fill a void by bringing the diverse oral histories to life in performance, costume and craft. Path I of this showcase deals with tracking Africa and Path II takes us on a journey of individuals along these paths.

These works were produced during his residency with 32° East, a visual arts centre located in Kansanga.