Babirye Erinah Fridah (born 1998) is a Ugandan artist based in Kampala. Working primarily as a mixed media artist exploring diverse materials, she draws her inspiration from nature and her relationship with the environment to create awareness in her work.
To create a better connection and understanding of nature, Babirye spends time in the wilderness and gardens, exploring the symbolic meaning and the psychical and scientific characteristics of plants to give meaning to her work. Throughout her work, facial features are used to humanize plants and create a closer link between people and nature. She speaks to TewasArt Africa about her work, inspirations, and art journey. Enjoy!
TewasArt Africa: How was your childhood? Did you grow up around nature?
Babirye Erinah Fridah: Having grown up in a large family, my childhood was eventful and adventurous, full of fishing expeditions and wild games. Hunting mushrooms was one of my favorite pastimes; seeing overnight growth seemed magical, as did identifying the various types of mushrooms.
My parents were farmers and spent too many days in the gardens. Harvest was my favourite season, but I didn’t take from the experience of tending to the crops. Watching the plants sprout from the ground was fascinating. Witnessing the strength both in nature and animals, was inspirational and has influenced me as an adult.
TewasArt Africa: You have a distinct style of integrating faces and nature; what’s your intention?
Babirye Erinah Fridah: Through my work, I aim to shed light on the strong similarities and interconnectedness between people and the natural world. I aim to show the strong similarities between nature, plants, and humans by mixing facial features and foliage. This creates a mysterious environment with hidden figures, imagery, and emotions. I am deeply connected with the environment and relish searching for connections both in physical and spiritual form. The instinctive violence and survival of nature fascinate me. One of the predominant reasons that I use facial features in my work is to humanize plants and create a natural bond between symbolism and emotion.
My art reflects the world as I see it—intertwined with complex social, political, and environmental challenges. Through my mixed-media artworks, I strive to provoke thoughts and inspire dialogue.
TewasArt Africa: You experiment a lot with Mixed media. Describe your creative process.
Babirye Erinah Fridah: Nature is very diverse; there is no other way to depict something so diverse other than to use Mixed media. I tend to follow the flow of the creative mind, paying attention to my emotions and feelings when I work. I try to find the pleasure I have with the environment in the creation process of my work.
On the technical aspect, I find my natural inspiration and incorporate it into the work by either collaging, painting, or drawing along with facial features and postures. Prints and other techniques that I felt strongly about during the creation of the work.
TewasArt Africa: How did you start as an artist?
Babirye Erinah Fridah: At the young age of 14, I decided to become an artist and never changed my mind about it. With support from my family. I set out to get a bachelor’s degree in industrial and fine art at Makerere, where in my last year I got into the silhouette project residency at AfriArt Gallery, where my career got its kickstart in the Kampala art scene.
TewasArt Africa: How was your experience showing alongside other talented women artists from East Africa at the Surfacing Women group show at Xenson Art Space, curated by TewasArt?
Babirye Erinah Fridah: To be in a space filled with talent and inspiring stories was an amazing opportunity. It was inspiring to have a wide range of female artists in different practice fields. The topics challenged social, political, and environmental issues in East Africa. The curation of the works was nothing short of excellent.
TewasArt Africa: What are some of the challenges that you face as a young African artist?
Babirye Erinah Fridah: There are limited funds and exposure, which makes it hard to create artwork. There is also a limitation of art materials to experiment with in terms of availability and cost. Also, there is a lack of knowledge of soft skills like awards, grant proposals, and residency applications, among others.
TewasArt Africa: Any notable shows, workshops, or residencies that have impacted your career?
Babirye Erinah Fridah: I have participated in a few residency programs; Transdisciplinary Regenerative Encounter Residency Uganda (TERRUR) (2021 – 2022), Silhouette Projects – AfriArt gallery (2020 – 2021), and Artist Exchange Pilotenkueche/Goethe Zentrum, Kampala, (2021).
I have also been shortlisted for the Makumbya Musoke Art Prize and Tilga Art Fund.