Ugandan artist Edison Mugalu and A Day to Remember piece. [Courtesy]
For more than two decades, Ugandan artist Edison Mugalu has been captivated by the beauty after sunset. In Dancing Lights II, opening at Banana Hill Art Gallery from June 6 to July 2, 2026, he presents 31 works that explore the fleeting moments of life through movement and reflections of light on land and water bodies.
He describes Dancing Lights II as an expression of newfound freedom that opens the door to discoveries and explores worlds that have never been visible before or what has been around but in a new way. In art, he says, that is where the source of creativity emanates from.
The works capture fleeting moments of everyday life through energetic brushstrokes and vibrant colour through his impressionistic style. While he has worked with oils and pastels earlier in his career, he now uses thick acrylic paints to get a texture similar to that of oil paints.
Morning Lights, a piece by Edison Mugalu. [Courtesy]
“I want the mood of oil to appear in acrylic medium. I am not a smooth painter,” he says.
The paintings portray transient scenes such as headlights of passing vehicles, streetlights, people walking, boats sailing, and their reflections on water. He is interested in how anything, especially light, is reflected on water.
“Light entertains my soul. It creates harmony in my paintings. The reflections keep dancing for you without the sounds of people or drums. It is like watching the sky and the moon,” he says.
Movement is another element of Mugalu’s work by creating rhythm and harmonising it. Inspired from observation, he studies landscapes, people, lights, and the collectiveness of everything to interpret them in his own way.
A painting, Today We Shall Catch More, celebrates the women of Jambiani village in Tanzania who collect seaweed and seashells during low tide. He wanted to honour their strength and labour while showing the striking blue waters.
Another piece, A Day to Remember, represents the artists’ experiences of wandering through the narrow streets and corridors of the historic Stone Town.
Two works by Floki, Mugalu’s wife, are also part of this exhibition, with one titled Fishmongers. They are mixed-media collage works of paint, magazines, and newspapers to depict women fish vendors.
Having exhibited in Africa and internationally, he hopes this exhibition will inspire emerging artists to be committed to their practice.
“Creativity will never end. The way to make money from art is not to ask for money. It is the painting that will ask for money. You have to keep creating,” he says.
Curator Njeri Tani says that the exhibition transcends borders by depicting scenes that you will find in Nairobi, Kampala, and Tanzanian cities.
“The chaos is the same. People crossing where there is no zebra crossing. It is everywhere in Africa. I relate it to home and how we manoeuvre and see beauty in the chaos,” Tani says.