Name me, mixed media on canvas, 150 x 100 cm
«If I look at myself, I can’t figure out what I am. Look at me and say something.»

Brainwash, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm
«Breathe in positive energy, and let go of negative energy. This painting is based on mental health, that letting out of negative energy creates new ideas or anything good.»

Kyunyu Pauline Makala: first works

In July and November 2023, Kyunyu Pauline Makala met two established artists at the Forster Gallery: Juanita Frier and Yvette Kissling. The exchange with them encouraged Kyunyu to go her own way and find her own style.

Kyunyu Pauline Makala was born in 1991 and grew up in Mwanza (Tanzania) on Lake Victoria. She is the daughter of a bank manager and a nurse and has two brothers. Since she was a teenager, Kyunyu wanted to become an artist. Her creativity was encouraged and supported by those around her. However, she also fulfilled her parents’ wish and initially completed a classical education. At the University of Mwanza (Tanzania), she obtained a degree in procurement and logistics management. She is registered with the university’s Procurement and Supplies Professionals and Technicians Board (PSPTB) and has been living in Zanzibar since early 2024. Here she continues to work as an authorized signatory.

The process of artistic development

Kyunyu Pauline Makala was impressed by the perseverance of Juanita Frier and Yvette Kissling. She says that these two women have encouraged her to stay true to herself, to be authentic, no matter what others think or say. On her weekends off, Kyunyu is currently trying her hand as an artist at the Forster Gallery.

Kyunyu has always wanted to be an artist: “Through painting, I can express myself, reach many people and share positive feelings. I am a woman full of emotions, very sensitive and very passionate. I often think and feel in colors. I imagine people and their situations in colors. I express feelings and stories with colors. My pictures tell events that I can convey so much better in colors than in words.”

Works of Kyunyu Pauline Makala in the Forster Gallery

The Forster Gallery promotes and supports young artists in Tanzania. We are convinced that there is an incredible wealth of creativity all around us. It is precisely this creative power that we are experiencing with Kyunyu Pauline Makala.