dusabe king (b. 1988, rwanda) navigates the intimate terrain of memory, identity, and cultural inheritance. working primarily in acrylic and oil on canvas, his paintings capture fleeting, fragmented moments that linger in the body and shape how we understand ourselves and each other. rooted in personal and familial histories, his work asks whether nostalgia is a way of reconstructing the past to make sense of the present, or whether it can act as a transformative process that offers release and healing.

during his residency at dot.ateliers, dusabe embraced painting as both discipline and adventure, cultivating a healthy work ethic while deepening his exploration of the emotional ties between past and present. the studio quickly became his favourite space, a place of focus and growth, while moments of play, like the children’s workshop, added humour and joy to the experience. his piece marie (2025) embodies this balance of introspection and experimentation, pushing beyond realism to weave abstraction into his language of memory.

dusabe continues to expand his practice by engaging with collective cultural experiences, archival imagery, and the layered connections between personal history and shared identity. reflecting on his time at the residency, he notes: “experience all, because time will pass by rapidly.” for him, dot.ateliers was not only a studio, but a community that sparked dialogue, adventure, and lasting inspiration.