Trevor Aloka

Trevor Aloka (born 1997) is a Ugandan multimedia artist. Quotes I make art as a way of understanding the world around me As an artist I believe that if I create solely for my immediate people, I will be in my own cocoon It is critical that people in our locales understand what we’re doing, in order for us to thrive, but this should never be the end goal of our practice I acknowledge the fact that an artist can be more than a creator of art, but also become an audience for another artist’s work I don’t think there’s anything original in art making because everything we’re communicating has already been communicated before, probably in different ways If one asked me this question five years ago, I would say I am a self-taught artist, but now I will say, I am a progressive artist. Yes, art needs society to exist because if it doesn’t, then why should artists create in the first place? Everything around us is raw material for art I believe art is an expression of oneself and the society they live in, although this can be interpreted differently by different audiences which, again, is a reflection of how each person interprets life I understand Contemporary African Art as the art of now—the present At least every artist I know is creating art as a form of advocacy for something. It could be politics, the environment, or humanity. As an artist, your voice becomes louder if you’re championing a certain cause African art is now recognised globally because African Contemporary artists have moved away from the ideology of making art only for art’s sake Documentation is a major part of the way I create art and during the process of capturing or collecting different materials for my work On the part of why an audience is important, I think it plays an important role in being a source of inspiration for the artist as they create Art criticism/art writing helps me as an artist to improve on my art. If it wasn’t for art criticism, I would be static in my practice.I would still be doing the things I did five years ago but, because I have conversations with people who criticise my work, I am compelled to go forward or move outside my comfort zone AN INTERVIEW WITH TREVOR ALOKA 24 May 2025 My work is about celebrating resilience, hardship and the beauty that is embedded in those things The flowers that can be seen on my artworks are plants used for my mother’s treatment to combat anaemia. Part of the side effects cancer patients get is anaemia, so these plants have iron in them and would nourish her that way. Having them on my artwork is a form of giving her her flowers Ugandan Artist Aloka Trevor Wins Prestigious Art Prize For His Work Inspired By His Mother 13 October 2025 Category:1997 births Category:Living people