Darlene Komukama (born in 1984) is a Ugandan self-taught photographer, multimedia artist, installation artist, and cultural practitioner whose work focuses on feminism and black identity.
The photo – and this whole project – remind me that my tribe will show up for me, we’ll show up for each other.
Darlyne Komukama reflecting on her Salooni photography project and a particular image from the series "Magic in the Garden". She explained that the project represented community, friendship and solidarity among Black women.
When your sister does your hair, you don’t need a mirror.
A proverb that informed the Salooni project. Darlyne used it to describe the relationship between Black women, hair practices, care, trust and collective identity.
The Salooni explores the idea of Black hair practices as systems of knowledge through which culture and survivalist strategies are passed from generation to generation.
Darlyne describing the purpose of Salooni, the collaborative installation she created with other Ugandan women artists to examine Black hair as a carrier of history, knowledge and cultural memory.
Art is a powerful tool for starting conversations that people are often afraid to have.
Discussing her artistic practice, she explained that photography and visual storytelling create opportunities to address difficult issues such as gender, identity and violence.
Collaboration allows us to tell richer stories because everyone brings their own lived experience.
Explaining why she frequently works with other artists, she emphasized that collaborative projects strengthen the representation of diverse women's experiences.
