Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – The ‘We Me’ group exhibition by women, which was launched at the National Art Gallery last week, aims to recognise and create conversations about the inclusion of Namibian women in art.
The exhibition will run untill August 8.
The ‘We Me’ exhibition was created by young women, who want to make a positive contribution to the Namibian arts.
The National Art Gallery Curatorial Coordinator, Ndeenda Shivute, said women are less represented in the gallery and the exhibition was a great platform for them to come out and showcase their work.
She explained the importance of recognising women’s work because of the topics that they cover in their work, be it identity, history, growth, femininity or the complexity of being just a woman.
“This exhibition is a space where a lot of Namibian women can come out and engage and find something that they can relate to,” Shivute further explained.
She stated that there is a small group of artists in Namibia that takes art seriously, however, it could be better.
“We have a lot of work to do in terms of getting people to just make a choice between going to a certain shop to buy painting that is factory printed and going to the gallery or an artist’s workshop and purchase a piece that is exactly of the same value,” Shivute said, adding that people need to support local artists.
The exhibition predominately represents women of colour, as they are the ones who are less presented in the institution and are also left out.
The atmosphere at the National Art Gallery currently depicts feminism in a strong sense, thanks to the artistic work on display.
The exhibition also portrays a great taste of the African culture, shown by the beautiful paintings, woven baskets, photographs and not to mention the artistic videos.
Jakobina Gideon, who has three beautiful paintings exhibited at the gallery, explained that it took her three weeks to finish just one piece and her work is inspired by the strength of black women.