Heritage of Healing | BUGANDA ROAD SPORTS GROUND
By Maria Nakato
At the heart of Maria Nakato’s project, Heritage of Healing, is “Hibiscus”, a wind sculpture embodying the embrace between mother and child that is engraved with herbal medicine passed down from her mother. The herbal recipes engraved on steel plates, showcase the resilience of traditional medicine in the face of modernity. The sculpture spins with the wind, creating abstract patterns to symbolize the passing of time.

Maria Olivia Nakato is a Ugandan-based curator with Muumba Collective. She has over 5 years of experience in administration and community engagement from working with not-for-profit organizations. She works with emerging artists to create interactive spaces for people to connect and interact within by utilizing art as an expression of their experiences and ideologies. The spaces aim to provoke conversation between strangers that inspire relationships, change in society and individuals. 

Maria curated the By’abakazi exhibition at Umoja Art gallery in celebration of women’s month 2024, the Resilient Spirit exhibition and secured funds for the Resilient Spirit project from the Braid fund (Kenya) and Tica in 2023. 

Her KLA ART 24 project aims to immortalize medical herbs and rituals that have been passed down from her mother.