Appreciative ode dedicated to veteran artists opens at National Art Gallery
The National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) opened its first exhibition, featuring works of art from revered artists in the local arts and craft fraternity on 23 March. The exhibition will be on display until 29 April.
The exhibition is a token of appreciation to all ‘masters’ in the sector, the teachers of disciplines, the inspire’s, the mentors, and the pioneers who paved the way for the visual arts sector.
The NAGN said the exhibition will be curated by Ndeenda Shivute-Nakapunda and it will reveal a rich cache of works reflecting each artist’s respective journey from earlier life to their most recent productions.
“A wealth of history and personal context were shared over cups of tea and table talks,” she said Shivute-Nakapunda.
The Gallery revealed that the artists participating in the exhibition are Amy Schoeman, Andrew van Wyk, Anita Steyn, Barbara Bohlke, Barbara Pirron, David Amukoto, Helga Kohl, Helmut Lauschke, Hercules Viljoen, Ndasuunje PAPA Shokongeni, Nicky Marais, Peter Mwahalukange, Rika Nel, Rudolf Seibeb and Urte Remmert.
“This exhibition promises breadth and diversity across the fields of visual arts, linocut prints, woodcut prints, painting, sculptures, photography, and mixed media artworks, which further feeds into our mission of researching, collecting, and celebrating local arts and crafts,” the Gallery added.
Most of the artists have works that form part of the Gallery’s Permanent Collection and the Government Collection, however, a gap in the archival record is reflected in this exhibition.
“Men are represented across the board while established female artists of colour are absent within this demographic of recognised artists, therefore this body of work is a direct call to art institutions to continue creating platforms for voices that were not carried forward in the past,” they said.
The marketing and communications officer at the Gallery, Beau-Ann Ferris said they strive to offer focused platforms and assist artists to effect and maintain outstanding displays of work by staging wide-ranging exhibitions annually.
“Therefore, An ode to the Masters is another pivotal opportunity to showcase the space’s potential, but to also involve locals and visitors through honouring cultural heritage and human connectedness,” she added.
