Today we’d like to introduce you to Owen R. Mutiganda.
Hi Owen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My photography started as small projects that toyed with the idea of the human experience.
In the beginning, it would consist of collaged street photographs from my many travels or short works on how the natural world mimics our inner one, but around last year, I honed in on what I wanted my art to speak on and how I’m going to use photography to do that. The mission stayed the same-“to create a body of work that sparks conversation with oneself about our internal experiences & the people we walk past every day.”
I create two kinds of photo projects to see this vision through. The first are projects that look at the dynamics of our inner world, using writing and photographs to put an image on our internal experiences. Some of my recent work has explored aspects of Self-Realization and looked at how we navigate the Unknown.
The second kind of project is under my “See Me Now?” series, and it involves me using portrait photography and introspective dialogue to offer a glimpse of the people we walk past every day. I just recently completed the 2nd volume of this series here in Salt Lake City, which focused on people’s experiences with “forgiveness.” I met a lot of amazing people and had some genuine and interesting conversations while making this volume in particular.
Since childhood, I’ve always had a broad imagination, the only difference is the medium it’s being translated through (photography). Art is how I articulate myself. This is how I communicate what I have to say.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any journey is necessarily smooth. The kind of struggles I’ve faced concerning my art… and I’m speaking as someone who’s only just getting started, I would say that my main struggles start and end with me.
External obstacles, setbacks, and rejection are always gonna be dynamics in any space of your life, but my struggle was often when these situations would cause me to contract rather than expand. In the beginning, I remember being scared to say “Hey I make art and this is what I’m doing!”
Because the kind of stuff I do is new and unfamiliar to a lot of people around me and in general, I often have to separate myself from external sentiments to stay true to my gifts and why I’m doing what I’m doing.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a photographer using introspective works and storytelling in an attempt to examine two lenses of the human experience.
Through the portrayal of internal experiences we go through as well as the implicit intricacies of other people around us, my projects serve as a tool to initiate inner dialogue.
I’m currently working on sharing my art beyond the digital world – with print collections, art festivals, galleries, my first photo book, and a magazine.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Sometimes I have doubts too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.owenmutiganda.com/about
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noir.my.eyes/
Image Credits: Eduard Torres
