ABINU - Alur for "I am coming"

ACAYE KERUNEN (B. 1981)

ABINU - Alur for "I am coming"

stripped banan rind, raffia, and hand dyed palm leaves

37 x 17 x 4 3/4 inches (94 x 43.2 x 12.1 cm)

Executed in 2023.

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Florida

NOTES:  

Born in 1981 in Uganda, Acaye Kerunen is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and environmental activist whose practice is rooted in indigenous knowledge systems, sustainable material traditions, and the cultural histories of East Africa. Working primarily with hand-processed natural fibers and plant-based materials, Kerunen creates sculptural and textile works that challenge conventional distinctions between craft, design, and contemporary art. Her practice is deeply informed by ecological stewardship and community-based making, foregrounding materials that have historically been overlooked or undervalued while highlighting the complex relationships between land, labor, memory, and identity. Through this approach, Kerunen positions traditional knowledge not as a relic of the past, but as a vital framework for imagining sustainable futures.

Executed in 2023, ABINU—Alur for “I am coming”—embodies the artist’s ongoing engagement with movement, transformation, and cultural continuity. Constructed from stripped banana rind, raffia, and hand-dyed palm leaves, the work reveals an extraordinary sensitivity to material and process. The elongated vertical form suggests both presence and passage, its woven and layered surfaces carrying the traces of the natural materials from which it is made. The title introduces a sense of anticipation and arrival, positioning the work as an expression of transition, emergence, and becoming.

Central to Kerunen’s practice is the belief that materials themselves carry histories. By working with banana fiber, raffia, and palm leaves—resources deeply embedded within the agricultural and cultural life of East Africa—she elevates everyday organic materials into objects of profound visual and conceptual significance. The resulting sculpture balances delicacy with strength, drawing attention to the labor-intensive processes of harvesting, dyeing, and weaving that underpin its creation. In ABINU, material becomes language, communicating ideas of resilience, ancestry, environmental interconnectedness, and the enduring relevance of indigenous forms of knowledge.

Kerunen’s work has been exhibited internationally, including presentations at the Venice Biennale, the Sharjah Biennial, and major institutions throughout Africa, Europe, and North America. Her practice has received widespread recognition for its innovative fusion of contemporary art, ecological activism, and traditional craft methodologies, establishing her as one of the leading voices in contemporary African textile and fiber-based art.