A German couple, Kat Stahl and Wynand Lens have made a huge contribution to the aesthetic appeal of Windhoek by painting seven bus stops around the city.
The couple’s project, which began a few years ago, has transformed ordinary bus stops into vibrant works of art.
Their most notable work includes the beautification of bus stops along Kwame Nkrumah Street in Ludwigsdorf.
Themed ‘Authentic Namibia’, these bus stops now showcase stunning wildlife scenes and animals.
“It’s going really well – but at the moment, we’re on a pause because we are currently not in Namibia. We spent half of the year in Germany… we will be back in January,” they said.
The couple said they are looking forward to observing their artwork.
For their further projects, they will stick to bus stops for now. There are still quite a few bus stops that need a friendly, loving hand. The couple has already eyeballed a few for when they return in January, but they will decide once they are back.
The first project was self-funded, with Dulux Paint later approaching.
“Our sponsors are lovely people, and we love them and their paint. They’re wonderful. Without them, it wouldn’t be possible for us to continue what we’re doing,” they said.
With permission from the City of Windhoek, the two sketched out their ideas, went to buy paint, and started sprucing up the sad-looking bus stops over a couple of weekends.
Stahl noted that at first, they were worried about what people would say when they saw them painting, but they continued with motivation from passers-by.
It took them 20 hours over three weeks to complete the project.
She added that it is easy to complain about things that are not right, but once one starts acting on it, one turns that frown upside down.
“My partner and I like to take action instead of complaining about things,” said Stahl.
She said they are just ordinary people with full-time jobs.
She is a German teacher, and Lens is a game designer.
They are thrilled that people love their painting, and it is worth every dollar they have spent out of their pockets.
“We love being the change we want to see in the world however cheesy this might sound. Because, when it is lived out, it makes the world a better place. Each of us can do their little part,” said Stahl.
“Since we got so much feedback, we will now continue one bus station at a time. Hopefully, together with the City of Windhoek, we will get local artists involved to branch out all over Windhoek, including Katutura,” she said proudly.
She stressed that they do not want to advertise that everyone should go out and paint a public area.
“But everyone could make their neighbourhood a bit nicer through any small deed – like picking up trash or just giving someone a smile,” she added.
-pmukokobi@nepc.com.na