The work of art portrays a standing tall man holding a straw drinking from a vessel laid on the head of a person kneeling in front of him.
The sculpture was shown on 12th April 2019 at the launch of works of art exhibition at the “Rwanda Art Museum” in Kanombe to run for 100 days.
The exhibition taking place at the house of former president Habyarimana is held for the first time since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped.
It seeks to use arts to explain horrors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, educating history to the youth and preserving it to build hope for the future.
24 works of art were exhibited at the event. These include works from nine artistes and other youth selected by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) through competitions. They are additional to 164 works of arts existing at the Rwanda Art Museum in Kanombe.
Ambassador Masozera requested artistes to use their talent positively unlike the past where arts were used to sow genocide ideology.
He explained that the sculpture was found in the sitting room of Habyarimana when RPF Inkotanyi soldiers conquered Kanomba in May 1994. It was among other works of arts displayed in his house some of which having shapes of a snake. “ This work of arts is displayed for the first time as one of the tools that were used to sow hatred among Rwandans. We were told that Habyarimana and his wife (Kanziga Agathe) used it to show to guests that Tutsis tyrannized Hutus to the extent of drinking beer from vessels laid on their heads,” he said.
“It is similar to the spreading ideology that the queen mother Kanjogera used to stand leaning on a spear plunged on shoulders of children. They were used to sow divisions and encouraging people to revenge,” added Masozera.
Masozera said he received the sculpture made from wood from a soldier who arrived at Habyarimana first.
“The message portrayed by works of art displayed here has no language barriers. Artistes should know that they can be destructive if wrongly used,” he advised.
The Executive Secretary of Kicukiro district, Adalbert Rukebanuka said it is of great value to exhibit works of art memories to a place where genocide was planned.
“Workers who lived in this house told us that there was pigs abode in the proximity of the house where they threw Tutsi killing during the genocide to feed these pigs,” he revealed.
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