Ian Mwesiga

Ian Mwesiga (b. 1988 in Kampala, Uganda, lives and works in Uganda) creates paintings that reflect the quiet energy of dreamscapes. His work defies perspective and logic by playing with light and composition while preserving a continuous lyricism. His influences allude to both classical and contemporary painting, with a particular affinity for Surrealism, while developing a distinctly lyrical pictorial language.

Mwesiga’s practice revolves around inset topography: the psychological world of his figures and their placement within imagined cosmoses. In his universe, impenetrable access is paradoxically granted, and yet balance remains. Subjects appear as snapshots of a dream, and boundaries between self and other dissolve, leaving intimate impressions suspended between reality and fantasy.

His paintings possess a mesmerising quality, with surprising dimensionality emerging from his use of vibrant colours that masterfully skew ordinary perspective. His recurring focus on light, shadow, silhouette, and reflection acts as a grounding force in the distorted worlds he creates.

Mwesiga’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions such as Beyond the Edge of the World at The FLAG Art Foundation (2024, New York, NY), Au service des rêves at Mariane Ibrahim (2025, Paris, France), and Theater of Dreams at Mariane Ibrahim (2022, Chicago, IL). Mwesiga has also participated in prominent group exhibitions, including When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting at Zeitz MOCAA (Cape Town, South Africa), Kunstmuseum Basel (Basel, Switzerland), and BOZAR – Centre for Fine Arts (Brussels, Belgium). His work is held in collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Los Angeles, CA), among others. 

Mwesiga graduated with a BA in Industrial Fine Art & Design from Makerere University, Uganda, in 2014. He has participated in residencies such as Àsìkò Art School (Mozambique), facilitated by Bisi Silva, and CCA Lagos (Nigeria). In 2014, he was the recipient of the Moving Africa Award, Goethe Institute.