By Nicky Marais Rudolf Seibeb, a mixed-media artist from Okahandja, has been exhibiting at the John Muafangejo Art Gallery from March 02. His art works are created from such diverse materials as wood, sand, iron, animal skins, concrete, tree roots and clay, alongside more conventional art materials, such as paper and paint. The main subject matter in Seibeb’s work is the human form; he uses people’s faces for their expressive qualities and places the figures in different elements to achieve his distinctive imagery. Seibeb first learnt art at home; he says that he was a curious child who made things from household objects and various odd things that he found lying around and it is this curiosity and inventiveness that he has carried through to his adult art. He studied at the John Muafangejo Art Centre in the 1990s, where his teachers were Papa Shikongeni, Jo Rogge and Joba. He has had three previous solo exhibitions in Windhoek, and regular visitors to the galleries will recognise his distinctive style. His joy in the found object, combined with inventive composition and a mature intuition makes his work moving and unusual. Seibeb lives and works in Okahandja. Although this town has a reputation for having a large craft-market he has not found it to be a particularly artist-friendly town and Seibeb struggles to find buyers for his art. He recalls a visit to Zimbabwe, which he says has a vibrant art scene and many, many artists who are all respected by the community, and it was this visit that convinced him that with hard work he will succeed as an artist and that he will progress in his life through the arts. Seibeb believes in art as an essential tool for the education of our children, and that people make art for the good of all Namibians. The newly appointed head of the Katutura Community Arts Centre, Pastor Sakkie !Haosemab, officially opened this exhibition at 6pm, Thursday, March 02, 2006.