By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK The newly appointed chief curator of the National Gallery of Namibia is to officially open a students’ art exhibition at the Visual Arts Department of the University of Namibia. Kay Cowley, a renowned Namibian visual artist and playwright, will open the senior student exhibition on Wednesday at 18h30, it was announced in a press release. “The second year ‘Curation & Critique’ students are hosting an exhibition of three senior students from the Visual Arts Department in the lower space gallery at the department. The students are curating this exhibition as part of their course and are organizing the entire event,” the press statement by Nicky Marais said. The exhibiting students will be showing recent works created in the past year. The three students whose works will be on display are: Elisha Zulu, Kabelo Kim Modise and Letsapa Mashabane. “Elisha Zulu is from Zambia. He regards himself as a painter and a graphic illustrator. He was educated at Kabundi Secondary School in Chingola and studied at the London Education Association where he received a First Certificate in Commercial Art. He also achieved a Diploma in Art from the Chelsea School of Art in London,” Marais said. Zulu has had several solo exhibitions at home and abroad and is presently employed by the Moto Moto Museum in Mbala and is in Namibia on a scholarship from Lechwe Trust. Another student, Kabelo Modise is originally from Francistown, Botswana. “He has had many exhibitions, solo and group, and has as well attended various workshops. He recently won the Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Award for the year 2005/2006. His work experience ranges from museum assistant, art division, art teacher and project co-coordinator.” The third exhibiting senior student is Letsapa Mashabane, also from Francistown, Botswana. “He has been an artist since the age of six. He had a conflict between studying art or science and ‘ended up choosing to further my art at HIGCSE level’. Artists such as Piet Mondrian and Vincent van Gogh inspire him because he realized that his desire was to paint. His paintings on this exhibition explore the symbolism of circles, locks and bars as social security symbols because they present themselves as trusted barriers or security hardware.” Cowley, who turned down a visual art job in China, returned to Namibia earlier this month after a few years working as an artist in South Africa. She was appointed chief curator at the NNGA on August 1.