How 32º East is Building a Home for Artists

Kampala’s artists were in isolation, tucked away working from home or personal studios. 32º East brought them together. 

image © Timothy Latim 

Completion of Phase One of 32º East’s Arts Center 

In 2011, the creative art scene in Kampala, Uganda, was filled with many talented individual artists. Still, most were creating their art in isolation, with a shortage of shared spaces to meet with other like-minded individuals. While there was the National Theater, it was a space for performing artists and musicians, not truly a space for visual artists. The founders of 32º East – Nikki Elphinstone and Rocca Holly-Nambi – would visit many artists, where the same need for a shared space was communicated over and over again. 

The visual artists in Kampala wanted a place where they could start a community. 

The solution to that need was 32º East, “a space for artists in Kampala to commune and talk to each other about what’s going on in their practice,” describes Darlyne Komukama, the programmes manager at 32° East. It started with something out of the ordinary. In 2012, various organisations came together to organize a public arts festival that took place all over the city. Interestingly enough, it was those very same shipping containers that became the first studios and office spaces for what is 32º East today – an artist-run hub for residences, programming, and the community Kampala’s artists wanted. 32º East has continued to grow and expand from its early days in shipping containers. 

The organization has two main ways that artists can get involved: a membership program and an artists' residency program. Becoming a member grants artists access to essential resources such as computers with editing software, high-quality printing, fast WiFi, and access to the 32º library, which can oftentimes be inaccessible or expensive. Within the membership, there is a program called Collectively, where members can do administrative tasks, such as running the monthly members' meet-up, and get paid. While this eases the load on the small team that keeps 32º East running it “allows people to have ownership of the space”. Additionally, opting into this program gives members a place to sell their work within 32º East’s shop. This program is open primarily to visual artists and notes located in Kampala. 

Piece by Darlyne Komukama during her 2017 residency

Their residency program, on the other hand, works a bit differently. At the end of each year, 32º East has an open call where artists from around the world can apply to be one of the nine to twelve residents for the upcoming year. These open calls are usually themed, and artists are hand-picked by previous and current artists in residence, as well as the 32ª East team. 

Scoring a spot in this program comes with perks such as a materials budget, a stipend, accommodation, and a studio space for their three months of residency. Since their start in 2011, 32º East has had over 100 residents, with skills ranging from painting, graphic design to photography. While the majority of their residents are Ugandan, they have also hosted artists across East Africa and beyond. 

In 2017, before becoming the programmes manager, Darlyne Komukama experienced this firsthand when she was chosen as one of the artists in residence. That year, she was able to explore photography and alternative printing methods. This program gave her the freedom, opportunity, and resources to experiment with her art. As a resident, she felt as if “it was the first time I truly felt validated as an artist – I could play, take risks, and have those risks taken seriously”. Some of her work included printing pictures on stickers that were transparent and layering them over mirrors. 

32º East does more than just support artists. Their support extends beyond their walls and into the surrounding neighborhood, with monthly cleanups. Before the current construction was underway, their garden was a place for local families and children to gather. Additionally, every few years, 32º East hosts the KLA Arts Festival, which transforms Kampala into an open-air gallery, where artists can showcase their work. In 2022, their theme was Care Instructions. Left open to interpretation, Kampala was filled with projects that ranged from installations one could interact with to art that weaved in deep cultural heritage. This break from a daily routine allowed people to “pause, think, and engage,” Darlyne recalled. 

Portrait of Darlyne Komukama, Programmes Manager at 32º East 

For young Ugandan artists, one of the biggest challenges they face is access to a sustainable market. Without this, artists often target their art towards more commercial and safe genres rather than leaving space for bold experimentation. “They already think out of the box,” says Darlyne, “imagine what they could do with access to resources”. 

And to help tackle this challenge, 32º East is currently in its second and final phase of constructing a permanent art center, which will provide a sustainable market. This expansion will include additional studios for artists, on-site bedrooms for resident artists, a gallery, and most importantly, a fully equipped workshop, which will allow artists to take their out-of-the-box ideas and turn them into a reality. Currently, 32º is still fundraising to reach its goal of $200,000.

As 2025 enters the second half of the year, 32º East will host its final two groups of residents while continuing construction on its new facilities. For artists like Darlyne, 32º East is more than just a space; it becomes a part of them. “So much of who I am, my friends, my art practice, came from here. To be able to do that for other artists is the honor of my life.” 

For those interested in supporting the center’s future, donations can be made here.