Local artist works displayed in Brazil

CHAKALISA DUBE
Staff Writer | Friday August 16, 2013 00:00

 

The Afreaka Project is holding an exhibition for the entire month of August at the Metro Sao Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Mandumbwa, who is currently in Botswana, departs for Brazil on Saturday and returns on August 30.While in Brazil, he is expected to conduct two lectures to other participating artists, art enthusiasts and members of the public attending the month-long event.

On Monday, the artist told Arts & Culture that he will talk about his work, style, contemporary African art, and traditional African art.In the first lecture, he is going to speak with a non-defined public - because the event is at the subway station, so all kinds are likely to be there.In his second lecture (at Casa Das Africa Institute), he will speak to students, researchers and artists who are interested in African studies.

A delegation of the Afreaka programme who visited various parts of Africa last November met Mandumbwa, an art teacher at John Mackenzie School, during their stopover in Botswana and interviewed him.In a letter addressed to Mandumbwa last month, Project Afreaka founder, Flora Pereira da Silva said they identified Mandumbwa as one of the prominent artists who they interviewed during their tour.She said the artist was very well-received in Brazil and his artworks were especially selected to be part of August exhibition content.

'Being one of our favourite artists of our southern, central and east African tour, we would love to talk about you and show some of your works,' added Pereira da Silva.Two other artists who have been chosen in Africa are from Zambia and Kenya.The Afreaka is a web-based project that aims to identify, document and promote remarkable cultural and artistic initiatives in Africa through graphic design and journalistic reports.Mandumbwa's trips are partly funded by Afreaka.

The trip is also partly sponsored by two companies based in Francistown, by Willy Kathurima and Sichmobo Associates.Mandumbwa began his career as a teenage graphic designer in his country of birth- Zambia. Excelling in the field, he decided to begin art classes, and moved to Botswana 15 years ago to work at The Voice Newspaper in Francistown before joining John Mackenzie.Since then, he's exhibited in several countries in southern Africa, as well as in Europe and North America.Apart from teaching, he has enrolled for a specialisation course in multimedia at the University of South Africa.

In his paintings, Mandumbwa said he studies the essence of survival, especially (but not exclusively) women's.  The painter also approaches his characters intimately, but never intrusively. He also said he has the ability to wonder, interpret and express what is happening in their lives (of his characters) through a small, almost invisible canvas space.