DR ENOCK SSEBUNYA’s passion for art started at a tender age, and he expressed it through drawing.
Years later, Ssebunya, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from Makerere University, did not wait to go to art school to follow his dream, but rather invested in his passion and started practising what he loves to do, under EnockArts, while also treating patients as a full-time job.
Recently, Quick Talk had a chat with him to figure out how the arts and sciences mix in his brilliant brain.
When did you start doing art painting? How did you even get the skills?
I started drawing at a young age. I remember copying my father – a mechanical engineer – drawing cars. Throughout my early school years, I used to occasionally draw, by then I had not realized the importance of the skill until 2004, while in Primary Four.
I made a drawing for a school project; the coloured drawing – almost size A2 – sensitizing about witchcraft-driven child sacrifice earned me a place at the Plan Uganda exhibition of the same year. ear.
The gifts I got from the exhibition and school motivated me to love art more than other activities that I was involved in, including being one of the only two boys in the school choir, traditional dances and football. I earned money from the first two activities even before the artworks [looks like someone was definitely destined for the arts, but science had to have the final say!]
What does it take to be an artist?
I believe it is all about practising, just like any other skill. Art is indeed learnt from art school, from colleagues. These skills are ‘sharable’, as I usually say. They say painters have a unique hand.
What sparks your urge to paint?
The beauty with art, the moment I start, I feel like more of it. I usually start with the eyes when making art portraits and these drive my eagerness to complete the whole face.
Any challenges?
Artworks seem easy, but if done as a business, the challenges have been the high costs of quality equipment and material. With few clients amongst whom also few may appreciate artworks as expensive products, the income is sometimes inadequate compared to expenditure.
The low income makes it challenging to officiate our products through copyrights and other formal registrations like with URSB [Uganda Registration Services Bureau] and I also lack access to funds to avail myself an art gallery to showcase my works.
How do you handle difficult clients?
Patience, patience and patience. I respect my clients, I respect myself. Even without explanations, I have on occasion had some of the few clients pay after a year. I decided to introduce a deposit before start of work, to cover initial cost, regardless of later payments.
What makes you stand out?
My journey, authenticity, reliability and quality of my artworks. My Artworks are comparable to artworks of my peers who studied industrial art.
Most of my clients are from social media and referrals. I charge based on size and finishing – anywhere from Shs 150,000 to 450,000.
Artworks bring in enough to sustain an artist, especially those involved in different forms of art, compared to me who is limited to portraiture. I am yet to diversify into abstract painting, among others.
What has been your peak moment so far?
When I met the minister of health [Dr Jane Ruth Achieng] to deliver the portrait made in appreciation of her commendable efforts during COVID 19 pandemic [must have been interesting; receiving an art piece from a medical doctor as the minister of health…]
Tell Quick Talk about education background.
I am a practicing medical doctor [he works with Karis Medical] with a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from Makerere University. For secondary education I went to Mengo Senior School.
Before Mengo, I was at Kawempe Decorous, Bright Future and New Valley Primary school, all in Kawempe Division.
What are some of the achievements you have got from the art business?
My most important achievement is the many friends I call clients; from ministers, to bankers, lawmakers… My artworks have been delivered to countries like Canada, Greece, United States of America, Norway, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda.
I envision having enough funds to have an art gallery, with hopes of diversifying into other forms of art as part of a skilling center for children from all walks of life. I also plan to upgrade in the field of medicine and surgery, to pursue a Masters program and serve as a specialist to save as many lives as possible.
atiluknathan@gmail.com
