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Homage to the African woman

Celebrating the African Woman, a painting of a mother carrying a child oh her back.Visual Arts student Fillow Nghipandulwa celebrates the daughters of the soil, the mothers and sisters of Africa in his latest presentation of mixed media artworks in an exhibition titled African Woman, at the Blue Frog Restaurant.
Upon entering the gallery I immediately started reciting a poem about the African woman in my head. Analyzing the artist’s work further I am taken on a journey that explores the ideologies of the black female body in visual arts across a social spectrum of place and time.

The exhibition has ritualistic pieces illustrating the different roles that African women play in everyday life. From taking care of children to house hold chores. It also looks at elements beyond the surface of society and how women are perceived by the public. Here a woman is not just seen as a tool or a vessel but as a pillar of strength, a homemaker, a peace maker and a being that strives through the negatives and looks ahead in a positive light. Here the African woman is free, she is free to love her way of living and African culture is a big part of her daily life experiences and all this is communicated through Nghipandulwa’s paintings.
Several African cultures are represented in the exhibition, from Herero women in Namibia to Fulani women in Nigeria. African Woman provides the viewer with an opportunity to view and experience a wide range of perspectives on key issues in African culture such as sexuality, motherhood and beauty through a vibrant array of art pieces.
Nghipandulwa hails from Okaku in the Oshana region. He started painting at an early age and in 1994 while attending a cardboard printing workshop in Tsumeb, his love for art grew stronger when he was encouraged by his lecturer Joseph Madaisa to make art that reflects his own culture.
“All my work has a message to convey about the past and the present of the people of Namibia and Africa as a whole” said Nghipandulwa.
The exhibition is currently on display at the Blue Frog Restaurant at the Franco Namibia Cultural Centre until 28 June. Entrance is free.

 

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