KAMPALA
Under a white tent, at a table filled with brushes, canvases and splashes of color, Aloyo Irene quietly sits, her face smiling and her eyes radiating welcome, inviting each person to pick up a brush and begin. There are no rules, no judgments, no expectations. Just freedom.
At only 27, Aloyo is a rising Ugandan visual artist who paints, sculpts and does photography. But today, she is best known for using art as a language of healing, a bridge for people battling stress, anxiety, or the silence of isolation.
“Most people tell me they have never painted before,” Aloyo told Parrots Media’s Leonard Kamugisha Akida in an interview during a mental health awareness sports gala at City High School Kololo. “They fear the brush, they think art is for superstars. But when I guide them, they realize it’s like life, you can always choose different tools and approaches.”
Her approach is simple: hand someone colors, let them mix and experiment, and encourage them to create without limits. For Aloyo, this act of painting becomes more than technique. It becomes therapy.
“Art gives liberty,” she says. “It gives you the freedom to express yourself when words fail. The quietest people, the ones who isolate themselves, often express the most through their paintings.”
A graduate of Makerere University’s Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts, Aloyo is pursuing her master’s degree in art. She describes her practice as both deeply personal and communal: part of it nurtures her own mental health, while another part sustains her as a career. For Aloyo, painting, writing, and poetry are more than art. They are vital pathways for healing and mental wellness.
“Sometimes I paint just for myself, to relax and heal,” she explains. “Other times, it’s my profession, which requires investment, creativity and business thinking. That balance can be challenging.”
The Art Therapist at LEM Mindfulness, still, she insists art is for everyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. Through her workshops, participants discover not just a creative outlet but also a metaphor for resilience. “When you create once, you realize you can create again. That triggers something in you, a belief that solutions are possible,” says Aloyo
Her philosophy is both practical and poetic. Even without canvas or paint, people can paint in their minds. “If you are in a dark room, imagine sunshine. Imagine bright colors. Art can start in your mind, and the canvas is just a reflection of what is already there.”
For Aloyo, painting, writing, and poetry are more than art. They are vital pathways for healing and mental wellness.
While Aloyo acknowledges the financial and structural challenges of working as a freelance artist, she remains optimistic. Her conviction is unwavering; art is not just decoration but a tool for mental wellness and social change.
“I believe art can change a lot,” she reflects. “If you think like an artist, then you have won. Because creativity opens solutions to every challenge.”
For those struggling silently, her message is clear: “You can always create a bright world within your world.”
