WINDHOEK– Kabelo Modise’s exhibition titled Line of Duty opened yesterday at the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN)’s Main Gallery in which he is showing his collection of illustrations.
The exhibition comprises of black and white analogue photography as well as Linocut prints, also called Linoleum cut. Linocut is a type of print made from a sheet of linoleum into which a design has been cut in relief. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or mark, with the raised un-carved areas representing a reversal mirror image of the parts to show print.
Kabelo says the Line of Duty exhibition derives from the way he works with lines, which he has made his iconography. “I have also engaged freedom fighters such as the Father of the Nation, Dr. Sam Nujoma, and the former Robben Island prisoner, Nelson Mandela as a way to emphasise my theme for the exhibition. They have both accomplished their duties as freedom fighters, as liberators, as presidents and so on. Their Line of Duty is much strong and visible to the world at large,” explains Kabelo.
He was born in Francistown, Botswana. In 2007 he obtained a Diploma in Visual Arts from the University of Namibia (Unam) and has since worked as an art instructor, teacher and lecturer in schools and tertiary institutions in both Botswana and Namibia. Currently he is a Textile Lecturer at the College of the Arts. Modise has taken part in over 15 exhibitions, and also has done an artist residence at two studios in South Africa as well as the Caribbean Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Gallery is open Mondays to Fridays from 08h00 to 17h00 and on Saturdays from 09h00 to 14h00.