TEARS OF FIRE BUTOTO ZAMU
TEARS OF FIRE
BUTOTO ZAMU
This moving portrait tells the story of a young man far from home,
now living in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Driven by hope and
responsibility, he left his country to seek a better life, a life where
he could perhaps find work and send money back to support his
single mother.
In the painting, the mother’s face looms large, her eyes shedding
tears of fire, a powerful symbol of grief for her lost son and the pain
of separation. The young man is depicted collecting water from the
lake, (representing Kakuma camp) an act of love and care, as he
attempts to soothe and wash away his mother’s tears.
Amidst the harshness of the arid desert landscape, two resilient trees
rise, symbols of hope, endurance, and the possibility of renewal
even in the most challenging circumstances.