Makano Bwato is a Congolese visual artist based in Kampala with a multifaceted practice in which writing plays a central role. It is channeling tumultuous thought processes into superimposed pieces of abstract poetry that sometimes contract into the form of a manic one-eyed alter-ego, grinning the artist’s name “Makano”. Having had to grapple with tragedy, art became Makano’s vehicle to process trauma and find a form of expression for the unspeakable. Carried by an almost frenetic energy, his paintings don’t stop at the confined space of the canvas but rather sprawl onto any conceivable surface in the artist’s proximity. Makano’s work was part of several group exhibitions in Masaka, Kampala, New York, London, Dar El-Salam, Lagos (all 2023). He had a solo exhibition with Faces Up, Kampala in 2022 and is the recipient of an award for the best artist based in Uganda under the age of 20 in 2021. In early 2024 his work will be included in the Kigali Triennale, Rwanda.