Bold Colours and Strong Roots: The Joyful Art of Kawama Kasutu
For Kawama Kasutu, art is a way to connect with her heritage while spreading joy. A self-taught multidisciplinary artist, Kawama was born in Zambia and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the blend of her roots and the culture within the Black Nova Scotian community helped shape her art.
From a young age, she was captivated by the bold colours and intricate patterns of chitenge fabric from Zambia, with cultural symbolism that ignited her curiosity.
“I was interested in the mixing of patterns and the symbolism behind the patterns, and how the colours sometimes blended with the meaning of the symbols and told a story alongside them,” she says.
By the time she was 12, Kawama was already exploring art on her own. And by high school, she was using it as a form of self-expression.
“I found creating helped me to tell a story or to help express an emotion that I was feeling,” she says. “Having a way to work through those feelings creatively really drove my passion.”
Picking up momentum in high school, Kawama sold her first piece of art at an auction. By 2020, she was gaining confidence in her work and selling handmade earrings before eventually creating a mural in Halifax’s North End.
“I think that may have been one of my biggest accomplishments,” she says. “I came into this very shy and not technically trained, so having been able to connect with spaces that have helped me excel has been really special.”
As a multidisciplinary artist today, her mediums are vast and include digital art, textile, screen printing, and painting.
Kawama emphasizes the importance of funding in nurturing her art, and expresses that it’s challenging for artists when there’s a lack of funding.
“I think programs like Support4Culture help foster the community because there’s a partnership with artists and the community,” she says. “Funding may seem like just money, but it is also care for artists and their work.”
As Kawama continues to create art and cultivate relationships with others, she hopes her work inspires a sense of happiness in others.
“I want my art to evoke joy in people. I want to be able to share the joy I feel in creating with others,” she says. “Art is healing for a lot of people, and we should be investing in it.”