
LADY NYINA aka VAAL MBABAZI is an artiste disrupting not only the TikTok scene, but also the event scene in Uganda.

Through her love of art, patterns and drive to find her best self, not only has she unlocked her very own TikTok niche, but she has also created a lane of her own in the art and interior design business, all while introducing something unique to Kampala’s event life – body art. Lady Nyina sat down with Quick Talk to share her story.
Who is Lady Nyina, and how did she come to be?
I could be anything as Lady Nyina, to be honest. She is fearless, carefree, playful, a go-getter. There’s no fear in that Lady Nyina spectrum. I think [thoughtful pause] I always compared myself to like… a better artist or a better this.
I didn’t want the process of becoming. But then, when Lady Nyina embraced that process, it kind of became easier. I didn’t compare as much.
When did your love for the Chinese language and culture begin?
Honestly, I was eager! I think after like, maybe the first year… because I understood the language. Then I was like okay, culture; okay, now I can learn characters. Now I can read the characters! You know, now I began engineering.
That’s when I started to enjoy the language, and the culture. But now I feel like I enjoy it more now than then because I’m more willing. I don’t know [she continues in a cheeky tone] I feel like a fairy. The interest keeps growing.
What inspired you to start creating content using English and Mandarin (Chinese)?
The day I started using Mandarin, I had a dream in Mandarin; like I was in old China. I was having a good time while doing live with the art. But I was instructing everything in Mandarin.
Something was happening, but I was just like, “No, Bù duì, bù kěnéng zuò zhège. Women yīnggāi gēng zhège.” [Chinese, for, “That’s not right, it’s impossible to do this. We should change this.”] So, when I woke up, I dressed up as usual, and was like, “Zaoshang hao, nimen jīntiān!” [Chinese, for, “Good morning to you all!]. I was like, this is nice, because now I could mix different languages.
You also have a love for body art — tell me about where that passion began.
I create patterns, and I like clothes. I didn’t really think that it would be something significant to me because I really saw my creativity as a very small thing.
So, coming out of that shell took a very long time. When I went to China, I was like, “oh! There’s more uncomfortable stuff! Let me just stick to what I have known for the longest time.”
And because I was alone, I was like, no one is even going to care about this stuff if I do it. So, let me just do it. I’d go to events and just do body art on myself and move with the pens.
At what point did it stop being just something you loved and became a business?
When I moved back here, I went for an event called Vibes Nzuri. I went intentionally to just be like, you know, let me just paint guys for free and see how they receive it. But I was like, what is free?
Okay, maybe 5K is free. I went in already painted. So, I sat with my bu-pens. So, someone came and was like, “oh, can I have my arm painted?” And I was like, “Yeah, but it’s 5K.” So, he left.
After like 30 minutes, he came with his friends. Now it is Shs 15,000. The dynamics vary depending on colours, patterns and the body parts.
What has body art taught you about people?
Good things take time. Everything in life requires patience. Everything is a process. It’s a journey. And you can always enjoy the journey.
Growing up, what kind of environment shaped you – how did your family influence your journey?
Those people! [Laughs lovingly] I think I’m very fortunate to have the family I have, because everybody understands creativity. My dad’s an artist, my brother’s an artist, my cousin was an artist.
So, because they understand that genre of life, there is no harshness when it comes to saying, I want to be a fashion designer or a stylist, or when I see a fabric, I can cry. Like, they know the amount of passion it takes to be a creative. They’ve been encouraging, even though we’ve had our trying times.
What’s it like to be a family of creatives?
It’s interesting, because I received critiques very easily, because I know it’s coming from a place of love and knowledge, and understanding of the craft. And if you ask for the critique, you’ll get it.
If anything I do is weird, no one at home or in the family finds it weird because it’s just a way of expressing. It’s not frowned upon or anything. It’s just lit, for lack of a better word. You just do you, and you go back, and they love you more for being yourself.
So lucky! What do you hope people learn from your videos?
I hope they feel comfortable with themselves. Like, it’s okay to be yourself. Because you’re going to work on the same day, the next day, and still be yourself. There’s no need to hide. Just be yourself. Find yourself. Love yourself, please.
Other than body art, is there any other way you make money?
So many ways! I do face lifts, of looks, places, hotels and bars. And my most recent work is at Alchemist. So, if you go there and you find the vibes are delicious, it’s me! Call me! Tag me! [Laughs]. I also make clothes, but now I don’t really make them as much anymore.
My niche is really in body art. Fashion seems to be how you express yourself… Oh, my God. I feel like crying [she says passionately]. I think it means, like, understanding your sense of self, because style and trend are two different things.
I think having a sense of style gives you a sense of knowing the kind of person you are. So, for me, style is really having a very deep understanding and sense of self, because there are some fabrics I can’t put on because they really don’t align with me.
Do you see a connection between your body art, your fashion, and your content?
No, they’re all just outlets. They are all just me. I have allowed myself to express myself in all creative forms.
How do you decide what to wear for TikTok videos or in daily life?
I meticulously plan the night before. So, my Monday starts on Sunday night. I run at 8pm, and I pick my clothes.
What moments make you most proud when you look at your journey, so far?
My beginnings. There’s a time a gentleman from China came and asked me which provinces I had been to in China. I had been to, like, eight, but at the time, I told him nothing.
That’s how shy I was to speak Chinese. But now that I’m just, like, dreaming in Chinese, speaking Chinese; I’m also being comfortable enough to, like, make it playful. I’m like, “Girl, you had this in you the whole time!” Everything changed.
My confidence is different. I really think of myself as the crème de la crème.
What dreams are you working towards?
I want to have a school that really understands the importance of creativity. Because it’s really like creativity is kind of stepped on sometimes. And also, so you know that it’s okay to start… you can come even if you’re, like, 56.
How do you stay grounded with everything you’re juggling?
Family. We have a thing at dinner time; we all eat together. Whether you’re the busiest man or woman, we all eat together. Or I can call my cousins, or I can call my friends; I’m really in constant communication with people who always keep me in check.
What advice would you give to young people who want to explore their creativity but fear judgment?
Sit with yourself. It might sound like it’s going to beat you up, but if you woke up tomorrow and you hadn’t done it, would there have been a change in the way you see your creations and the way you see your work? Work, and be focused; give yourself a time frame.
olowo.emilykate@gmail.com