Jim Joel Nyakaana

Jim Joel Nyakaana is a researcher, artist, and photographer based in Kampala, Uganda. He considers urban spaces as his studio and roams city streets documenting the built environment and the people who use these spaces.

With his KLA ART ‘21 project Kaduukagram, the buduuka, the tiny shops that are cornerstones of each Kampala neighbourhood take centre stage. During the lockdown, Jim Joel was struck by how we ascribe importance to buildings according to their stature and status in the city, even though these buildings are often closed off and inaccessible due to bureaucracy. With Kaduukagram, Jim Joel stages a route between buduuka in his neighbourhood in Kawempe, contrasting their presence and community access with the imposing buildings of the city, highlighting which buildings serve our day-to-day needs.