Kakyo’s Story
I am East African. I grew up in a conservative space in Uganda, but my family was very expressive. Even the way we wore our clothing and accessories was a language in and of itself. I liked how interesting that was; it set me on a path to navigate expression through fashion.
Kakyoproject, my multifaceted fashion-based work, happened organically. As a child, I began by making jewelry with my family and friends and continued the hobby as I grew older. Eventually, it became a source of income.
Though I am queer, I never really made anything with rainbow colors until a tikka hairpiece that I gifted to a friend. In Uganda, you can't just walk up to someone you are interested in, as it could result in your arrest or worse, and this friend had been struggling to make a romantic connection. So, when they subsequently met and fell in love with a person on the bus because the colors in the hairpiece sparked a conversation, it inspired me.
Since then, my work has expanded. In addition to jewelry, I now have a clothing line made with Ankara fabric and patches with personalized messages. I also use the platform created by Kakyoproject to organize social events for queer people to connect safely. We do lots of fun things like screen films and create artwork together.
In a cultural environment where it can be tricky to express oneself, fashion offers a channel to do it safely. It becomes a language for queer people to communicate, make connections, and find community. In places like East Africa, this avenue of expression has been extremely important. A simple rainbow bracelet or clothing patch can bring people together, and I am excited — and gratified — to have a role in helping those connections happen.
For more about Kakyo, follow her personal and travel Instagram accounts.
For more about the Kakyo Project, check out their website or follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
Artist Notes
“Kakyo is in the centre of this image with a dress in the one hand and jewelry in the other to illustrate her love of creation. The two female figures on either side of her are the models wearing her designs. The illustration also features a rainbow tikka and rainbow bracelets. The background is yellow, which represents Kakyo’s strength, conviction, and courage to hold safe spaces for queer people in a relatively unsafe place.”
Published Sep 30, 2020
Updated Aug 30, 2023
Published in Issue VIII: Art