The Oranjemund Art Centre, in collaboration with StArt Art Gallery and the Namibian Arts Association, says the ‘OMDis Artists in Residence: 2025 Art Exhibition’, will be travelling to Windhoek for its second showcasing.
This exhibition was first staged in Oranjemund in May this year. Besides artworks by artists in residence: Edeltraut Rath, Hildegard Titus, and Kevlyn Gowases this year’s exhibition will include photography, ceramics, painting and video art. The exhibition opens on 29 July 2025, from 18h00 to 21h00.
The opening of the exhibition will also be an opportunity to launch the catalogue for the exhibition, which contains photos of all the works on show alongside texts from the artists and curators.
Kevlyn Gowases, a graduate and ceramicist from Windhoek, brought a tactile and elemental approach to her residency. Known for her abstract, hand-built ceramic forms, Kevlyn collected and processed wild clay from the Orange River during her time in Oranjemund.
Her work draws from the region’s winds, weather, and history, incorporating layered textures and sculptural presence that echo the land’s memory. “The enduring presence of the land, and the hunter-gatherer people who once inhabited the region, found their way into the creation, texture and feeling of each piece,” she said.
In addition to developing new work, each artist led a workshop in their chosen medium, offering hands-on learning to Oranjemund residents and contributing to the town’s cultural growth. This aligns with the Oranjemund Art Centre’s mission to foster local creativity while connecting it to broader artistic networks.
Inaugurated in 2023, the Oranjemund Art Centre is a vibrant platform for creative expression, skills development, and cultural exchange. Each year, the centre hosts national and international artists in residence, providing space for experimenting and dialogue. From 30 April to 31 May 2025, Edeltraut, Hildegard, and Kevlyn shared a communal studio space, engaging with the landscape, the community, and their respective practices.
Edeltraut Rath, a painter based in Bremen, Germany, brings two decades of connection with Namibia to her work. During her time in Oranjemund, she focused on the interaction between nature and colour. Inspired by the soft, shifting hues of the desert and the plant life around her, Edeltraut created a body of work that explores colour transitions and overlays, particularly using watercolour to express abstract gradients influenced by the morning and evening skies.
The residency programme is run by the OMDis Town Transform Agency, which continues to invest in the town’s creative future. Through initiatives like the Art Can Transform project, which has introduced large-scale public artworks throughout Oranjemund, OMDis continues to champion cultural revitalisation as a component of sustainable development.
These efforts not only beautify public spaces and empower local artists but also foster tourism and strengthen community identity.