R. Canon Griffin
‘I hold art in the highest regard. It is the most unbridled way of sharing the experience and aspiration of our being. I am motivated by the mysteriousness of our presence, and all its possibilities! My art is to communicate, to stimulate a personal dialogue from you, from the shock or awe caused by the uncanny recognition that you can see what I see, and empirically, that makes us relatives.’
FACEBOOK ⋅ INSTAGRAM ⋅ YOUTUBE ⋅ HIP WEBSITE
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
R. Canon Griffin works in multiple formats: he photographs, draws, paints, writes and produces videos. Often, he combines all of these forms into a single artwork, making collages and collaborative narratives that aim to shed light on historical aspects of Ugandan history.He describes his journey towards photography as an innate desire “I found it automatic: the need and urge to use photography as a testimony to how I perceive our reality.” He went on to study Graphic Design, and Advertising at APTECH Uganda between 2010 and 2012. Later on, he taught himself how to work with digital photography, videography and video editing.
One of his ongoing projects is History in Progress Uganda (HIP Uganda), which is done in collaboration with artist Andrea Stultiens. In their website, Canon and Andrea actively collect and publish photographs from private and public archives in Uganda. By doing this, they aim to reframe Uganda’s history in photographic terms –as a constant dialogue that opens up the possibility to relate to, respond to, and think about how Uganda’s history is (and is not) available in photographs.
Griffin’s ultimate desire is to create pieces of art that make his audience care: “I would love to make everyone care, implored by the unafraid sincerity of my expression.” He hopes that through the use of familiar media, viewers become enticed to conjure new ways to stand for themselves in the ever-changing situations of their existence: “We share a world!”
His exhibitions include:
- 2021, group show at MoTIV Art Salon, Uganda
- 2021, virtual group show by The Creative Tribe, Uganda
- 2019, “Contested Space Project” by B53 in art@nuyens, Arnhem, The Netherlands
- 2019, residency at 32° EAST Ugandan Arts Trust
- 2017, “Ebifananyi” at FOMU, Antwerp, The Netherlands (in collaboration with Andrea)
- 2016, “The UnSeen” at AfriArt Gallery, Kampala, Uganda
- 2016, “Rumble in the Jungle” at art@nuyens, Arnhem, The Netherlands
Artworks
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Abaddu nga bakolera Omwami
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
All Hands On Deck
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
Hopelessly Waiting for Help like a Lady
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
Kiliumba nga Atwalibwa Okutibwa
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
Mackay nga alaga Kabaka Mwanga Map ze Nsi zona
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
Mario Savio Laments at UCLA
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
Quo Vadis
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
Untitled
€2,300.00 incl. taxes -
You Are Our Eye (Moving On)
€4,600.00 incl. taxes