Sanaa Gateja

Sanaa Gateja is an exceptional artist and jeweller and has been nicknamed ‘The Bead King’ in his native Uganda. He derives this name from being the inventor of beads made from recycled paper which he uses to create pieces of various designs and compositions. Sanaa’s work could be described as mixed-media experimental abstract art. He holds a wealth of experience having studied in the London College of Design and the Universita Internazionale dell’Arte in Florence.

During his residency, he worked on an ongoing project that explores African history through the conceptual framework of a journey. Due to the lack of locally written history in Uganda, Sanaa believed that art could fill a void by bringing diverse oral histories to life in performance, costume and craft. Path I of this showcase dealt with tracking Africa and Path II takes us on a journey of individuals along these paths.