By Thrishni Subramoney

JOHANNESBURG--Two women reach up towards the stars, resplendent against a backdrop of green. A featureless man and woman couple hold hands surrounded by a pink glow. Jonathan Ojora’s art is eye-catching to say the least – each telling a distinctly African tale.
The Ugandan painter’s work decorates displays the halls at the Creative Commons Conference at Wits University, Johannesburg.

Ojora says creative commons can help showcase talent on the continent and he hopes to use it as a means to safely put his work out on a global stage. The artist – who specialises in illustrations in paint and pencil – says he is thrilled with the Creative Commons licence ideas which he believes will help other Ugandans reach their creative potential.

“Uganda is rich with creative skills. So many people who are not really literate have immense talent with crafts that need to be showcased. Cc provides a good ground to develop ideas that will allow Ugandans to do this,” Ojora said.

Ojora is also currently working with an ICT program that supports Ugandan survivors of that country’s civil war. “We are encouraging Ugandans who have just been through a civil war to express their feelings and their creativity on the internet. They can share ideas and get ideas from other people”

He is planning to display his artworks on the internet and is at the conference to gain ideas on how to do this. “I have brought work to the conference and I will soon be showcasing it on the Net,” he said.