BackyardArtSessionatXensonArtSpace:PreludetoWorldVitiligoDay2025

In the lead-up to World Vitiligo Day 2025, Muundo Foundation, in collaboration with the Vitiligo Association of Uganda (VAU), convened a site-based live art session at Xenson Art Space in Kampala. Hosted in the backyard of the space, the session brought together artists and individuals living with vitiligo to create, reflect, and engage through art - using the act of making as a grounded, public form of advocacy.

The one-day session brought together artists and individuals living with vitiligo to create, reflect, and engage through art - using creative practice as a space for visibility, dignity, and collective expression.

Art in Process, Advocacy in Motion

Held on 21 June 2025, the session functioned as both a creative gathering and a strategic moment of advocacy. Participants engaged in live painting throughout the day, producing works that explored themes of identity, resilience, and belonging.

Rather than presenting finished artworks alone, the session centred the process of making - allowing dialogue, observation, and interaction to unfold in real time. This approach reflects Muundo's commitment to art as a living, participatory tool for social change.

From Kampala to the National Stage

The Kampala art session was intentionally designed as a prelude to the Grand National World Vitiligo Day celebrations held in Rukungiri District, Western Uganda on 25 June 2025.

Artworks created during the Backyard session travelled onward to Rukungiri, where they were later exhibited as part of the national program. In this way, the pieces carried not only visual form, but also embedded narratives and collective intention - linking local creation to national dialogue.

Partnership and Shared Space

Muundo and Vitiligo Association of Uganda (VAU) are grateful to Xenson Art Space for opening its backyard as a site of creation and exchange. The space's commitment to art and social impact made it a fitting environment for this moment of reflection and advocacy.

The session demonstrated the importance of cultural infrastructure - spaces that allow communities to gather, create, and be seen on their own terms.

Art as Continuum, Not Event

Backyard for Vitiligo Awareness was not a standalone activity, but part of Muundo's wider Art & Cultural Advocacy work during World Vitiligo Month. It reinforced the idea that narrative change is built through accumulated moments - creation, exhibition, movement, and dialogue - rather than single events.

By connecting artists, lived experience, and public space, the session contributed to a broader effort to challenge stigma and affirm the dignity of people living with vitiligo.

Backyard Art Session at Xenson Art Space