Ugandan artist Aloka Trevor wins prestigious art prize for his work inspired by his mother

Ugandan artist Trevor Aloka, says his mother inspired his award-winning work, which celebrates the beauty found in resilience and hardship.

Born and raised in Uganda, the 27-year-old was among the winners of the prestigious art competition. His immersive installations explore time, memory, and togetherness, drawing on his experience as his mother’s primary caregiver since 2017.

Aloka transforms hospital receipts into canvases, using white ink and charcoal to create intricate pieces that reflect healing and endurance.

Some receipts date back to 2008, documenting decades of hospital visits. His drawings of flowers and plants, used in his mother’s treatment for anaemia, symbolize care, nourishment, and love.

YNews sat down with the multidisciplinary artist whose installations explore time, memory, and togetherness.

“My work is about celebrating resilience, hardship and the beauty that is embedded in those things. It borrows from the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where they create beautiful pieces from broken pottery that retain all the faults and cracks — yet the piece is still beautiful in its own way.”

The second anniversary of the Absa L’Atelier and Lifestyle Art Fair transformed Nirox Sculpture Park into a vibrant hub of creativity on a hot Saturday, drawing art enthusiasts and emerging creatives from across Africa.

This year’s theme, “A Story of Art,” celebrates the personal and collective narratives that shape the continent’s creative landscape. For nearly four decades, Absa L’Atelier has championed young artists who translate resilience, hope, and vision into compelling works.

For Aloka, the act of creating is deeply personal — a ritual of love, memory, and gratitude. His art honours his mother, visually represented through vivid flowers and plants that fill his work.

“The flowers that can be seen on my artworks are plants used for my mother’s treatment to combat anaemia. Part of the side effects cancer patients get is anaemia, so these plants have iron in them and would nourish her that way. Having them on my artwork is a form of giving her her flowers,” he said.

The Ugandan artist describes the Absa L’Atelier and Lifestyle Art Fair as both a milestone and a mirror — a moment that validates the presence and importance of African artists in global conversations.

“Occasions like this show that African artists are seen and appreciated. I see myself going far, as long as I put in the work and trust the process,” he added.

This year’s competition featured twelve exceptional finalists from across the continent, exploring themes from mythology and memory to sustainability, identity, and womanhood.

South African painter and sculptor Ndlovukazi Ngilande won the 2025 Gerard Sekoto Award, recognising artists aged 25–35 who demonstrate integrity and excellence. Her work celebrates the beauty, power, and spirituality of African women.

Other winners included Yolo Mantiyane, a South African painter who uses cow dung to explore Nguni traditions and gender roles, and Nana Sarpong Prempeh-Fordjour, a Ghanaian artist whose bold drawings and performances examine youth, trauma, and healing.

Through initiatives like Absa L’Atelier, emerging artists are given a platform to tell uniquely African stories, reminding audiences that art is not only aesthetic but also a vehicle for change, memory, and belonging.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe