Women at the communal tap evokes old memories

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday August 15, 2011 00:00

The exhibition opened last Friday with 61 artworks from a broad spectrum, including ceramic, painting, photography and sculpture on display.

Art enthusiast Merapelo Oaitse, who has not missed the exhibition since its inception eight years ago, says he was particularly thrilled by Crawford Mandumbwas' pieces.  The artist mostly practises what is termed impressionism, putting more emphasis on colour to communicate.

Oaitse says the most captivating work by the Francistown-based artist is the one titled By The Communal Tap, which is acrylic on canvas.  Here, Mandumbwa paints women drawing water from a communal tap, with one helping the other to lift a bucket full of water up to the head and the other one choosing to simply carry the bucket full of water in one hand.

This is interesting in the sense that it depicts something that most Botswana can relate to because in the olden days fetching water from streams or ponds was the norm.

'He simply reminds me of the post modernisation years, art is powerful in the sense that it has the ability to preserve history,' he said.

Fiona Selato, who is into photography, was mesmerised by Ulf Nermark's Ripples, which depicts piles of sand in a beautiful pattern.  Selato says she could not get her eyes off the picture, as it is not the abstract type, hence simple to understand. 'Its quality is also rich,' she says. 

Russian national Natasha Hays thinks Thapong Members Exhibition has shown growth in the sense that the quality of the work has improved compared to the April one.  Moreover, she has noted that there are many entries this time around, a sign that artists are taking the forum seriously.

'The numbers are bigger and it's more interesting as different techniques are displayed,' Hays says.However, she feels more techniques like woodcarvings and plastic art should feature.  She most appreciated a picture by Wendy Borello titled A Deathless Story.

Chief of Mission at the German Embassy Peter Steilen hails the exhibition as a forum that assist in improving quality and a more professional approach to art creation. He says the exhibition adds value to the development of the arts in Botswana.

'We are encouraged to note that photography and ceramics are numerically well-represented in this year's exhibition and we hope this trend continues,' says Steilen.

The exhibition, which is scheduled to run until August 29, is held as a prelude to the Thapong Artist of the Year Award slated for October.  The exhibition features works by both young developing artists and veterans.