The first exhibition in the 2023 Side by Side exhibition series curated by StArt Art Gallery opened at the Village Opera House at 18 Liliencron Street, Windhoek on Friday.

This exhibition presents artworks by Namafu Amutse and Candice Mouton, who met while at school. They are both young, self-taught artists in the early stages of their creative careers.

While Amutse works predominantly in the digital realm, creating photographs and videos, Mouton is a painter and illustrator. Despite using very different mediums, the two artists share a similar impetus for their works on display in this show. 

In this exhibition, Amutse’s photographs and Mouton’s paintings portray intimate moments relating to childhood through portraiture.

“The premise of the Side by Side exhibition series is juxtaposition. By placing just two artists’ works in proximity, we are presented with a dialogue that creates space for unique interpretations,” StArt Art Gallery said in a press statement issued recently.

In 2018, StArt Art Gallery curated a two-person exhibition at the Goethe Institut of Namibia, showing sculptures by Ismael Shivute and Matheus Alfeus. The exhibition was titled ‘Side by Side’. Four years later, in homage to the 2018 exhibition, that title has been revived for a new series of two-person shows.

An Artists’ Talk is scheduled for 18 February between 10h00 and 12h00 when the artists will be available to answer any questions.

Entrance is free.

StArt Art Gallery works with some of Namibia’s most exciting contemporary artists to curate critical projects which add to the growing archive of information available to researchers, collectors and art enthusiasts. The gallery was established in 2017 in Windhoek.