Gakwaya was born in Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, and he paints to tell the story of himself and his homeland. His passion for art ignited in the 3rd grade and later led him to further his studies at San Antonio College and the University of Texas in San Antonio. Gakwaya’s work has been featured in exhibitions in San Antonio and across the United States. He has also contributed to large-scale murals and participated in the “Unseen Artists” public benches project, sponsored by Centro San Antonio and In the Eye of the Beholder Gallery. Additionally, Gakwaya has been actively involved in art workshops with Culture Homeschool Group, McNay Museum’s Family Day, and the Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC program.