Salman Khalid

     Bill Odwari was born and raised in the East African country of Uganda by his single mother and grandmother. Poor in wealth but rich in vitality and genius, his grandmother used to bring home used boxes from the market in place of the notebooks Odwari’s family did not have the money to buy. To this day Odwari uses found materials such as recycled paper and cardboard, to create his work in honor and reminisce of where he grew up. He often incorporates his upbringing into his work to in Odwari’s words “tell people where I came from and what kind of life I had”. One might imagine his reflections to be sad or at the very least complicated due to his circumstances, but this would be a misunderstanding of Odwari. His work radiates with an unambiguous love and insurmountable joy, both for where he grew up and the people who raised him into who he is today.

     his paper mâché sculptures for example owe their technical skill to long hours spent since childhood. The animals he chooses to sculpt are the ones he saw all those years ago on his tours of the local wildlife park. His painting career — an extension of his life-long interest in drawing — started in high school. He started selling his paintings —as well as his sculptures — to help pay for school fees and later, his art college. His school career also continues to play a role in his art making. Odwari’s 2022-piece, Sun braid Kid (Size), depicts a gleaming, unambiguously boyish Odwari wearing sun braids. Behind him in equally bright hues of strawberry cake pink, schoolyard chalk yellow, and blueberry milkshake purple, are books from his school years. Sprouting out and around the boy are leaves and stems of the coffee plant that his country owes so much of its economy to. Odwari describes the painting as a collection of things that bring him joy for their special role in putting him where he is now.

     Odwari then, through his work, helps us appreciate our present selves, not as a singular passing moment but as the ever-continuing culmination of the past. Our past furthermore, is not merely ours but the loving effort of our family and those who have supported us in realizing our present selves. Through acknowledging the joys of our past selves, we are able to remain connected to the people who love us most and in some small way love them back.