Monika Amunyela
The National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) opened its doors to the University of Namibia’s Visual Art Department graduates who exhibited art work that celebrates history and personal experiences.
Opening the exhibition, Beau-Ann Ferris, the marketing and communication manager at NAGN highlighted the emotional depth behind the work on display, “the works you see here tonight are rooted in deep personal experiences, in memories, in vulnerabilities, in griefs and in passions. They are not just artwork but a testament to courage, reflection and dream emergence.” The gallery reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing emerging artists, proudly providing a platform where these artists can evolve, experiment, and be seen.
Among the exhibitors is final year ceramics major Jonas Vilho, whose work pays homage to his roots. “My works are inspired by baskets that have been woven by my grandmother, I wanted to tell the stories, give the meanings of the basket patterns,” he said.
Vilho collected three differently shaped traditional baskets and explored their patterns, meanings and textures. He explained that he used molds made from plaster, pressing clay slabs by hand to capture the baskets’ original imprints. All his pieces together have different languages, telling different stories about his tradition, personal experiences, childhood memories, His collection is titled Cultural Heritage of Awambo. Another featured artist, Jamiee-Lee Diergaardt, presented work titled Reimagining Illnesses, Invisible Masks. Diergaardt, who majored in Creative Expression and Fashion Design, created the piece in honor of her mother, who lives with lupus. She explains that the condition is visible by a rash on the face, her mother’s daily reality inspired Diergaardt to design a symbolic work, creating faces of loved ones, imagining the “invisible masks” they wear in silence.
Diergaardt also created a fashion ensemble inspired by 1700s corsetry but reinterpreted for fuller-figured women. “I want people to dress for their current body type and not try to manipulate it into something that is wrong,” she said.