Krehim Sharon, Nakivale Young Talent Community
Visual Artist, Interpreter, and Mentor to the Next Gen of Nakivale Artists
Meet Krehim Sharon, 20-year old visual artist from Democratic Republic of Congo and refugee living in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Southern Uganda. He is a member of and teacher of art with the community-based organization Nakivale Young Talent Community, an artist collective and art education center for youth. As I’ve written in other posts highlighting artists, I believe art can change lives and change the world. Sharon’s work mentoring the next generation of artists along with his social justice and environmental conscious messages conveyed in his art proves my point; his art puts him squarely in the ChangeMaker category.
In the coming days and weeks there will be much more about Sharon and the other artists at NYTC. Stay tuned for big news on how you can support these artists (and get prints of their new art) which will be announced on my other Substack called The Creative Convergence (fka Spaghetti Twisted Thoughts).
I’ve provided Sharon’s bio at the end of this post, so be sure to get all the way to the end! From my own experience talking with Sharon and witnessing his art and process, he is compassionate and empathetic, helpful and supportive to his fellow artists, a ham in front of the camera, and a passionate visual artist that tends to prefer larger-than-life size art to small creations (scroll through the pictures below to see for yourself!)
This post is more photo and video heavy than most of my posts. The artists are busy creating, teaching and building their new Art Education Center and I’m catching up on interviews for the rest of the week. Luckily, I have quite a few pictures of Sharon and even some video that will speak volumes, more than text ever could. I hope you enjoy this “text-light” post for Day 38 of the RainMakers & ChangeMakers series.
Larger-Than-Life Art
June 1st Art Exhibit
On June 1st, Akon Deograce of NYTC, Elijah Astute of GoGreen (fka Bio-Green) and I co-hosted and produced an online Art Exhibit featuring 10 of the artists from the NYTC collective. Sharon was one of them.
He not only exhibited his own artwork, he served as interpreter for some of his fellow artists whose English prevented them from expressing themselves in front of the camera.
Here he is in his own words after the event.
Kampala Supplies Road Trip
After the exhibit, having raised enough funds from ticket sales and donations, Akon and Sharon left for a two-day trip north to Kampala to purchase art supplies and materials to bring back home to the artists. It was a day-long trip both ways.
While in Kampala, we had a chance to Zoom. Sharon shares here the first page of his Sketchbook that was gifted during the June 1st Online Art Exhibit. As Akon put it, “The artists are in the mood to produce!” After not having paints for some time, which kept them from finishing some of their works in progress, the trip to Kampala for supplies was invigorating and Sharon was already preparing ideas.
Producing Day & Night for World Refugee Day
When they returned to Nakivale from Kampala, the artists started producing almost immediately. Sharon set to work on creating a piece that reflected the theme of UNHCR’s 2024 World Refugee Day - “Solidarity with Refugees.”
The artists produced day and night for three days straight, producing 30 pieces to bring to the World Refugee Day celebration at Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
Here are some process pictures from Sharon’s larger-than-life art piece which he ultimately gifted to the UNHCR staff visiting from Kampala.
Krehim Sharon, Age 20
This is Sharon’s bio which was used in promotional materials for the June 1st exhibit.
Though his parents dreamed of him becoming a doctor, Sharon’s unwavering passion for art burned bright. He secretly honed his skills, determined to make an impact through his creations. In 2016, war ravaged Sharon’s homeland of Congo, forcing his family to flee as refugees to Uganda Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Amidst this upheaval, Sharon’s artistic fire remained undimmed.
After numerous rejections, he finally found a nurturing home at Nyanja artist group in 2018, where his raw talent blossomed. 2022 marked a pivotal year as Sharon joined the Nakivale Young Talent Community, an organization championing refugee artistry. Here, he flourishes, imparting skills to others while refining his own craft. Though challenges persist, Sharon’s resilient spirit and unwavering dedication fuels dreams of global recognition.
Where in the World is Sharon?
