History of women on display

Ruminations on teenage pregnancy embroidered in colourful thread, a baptism dress, and a dreamer gazing into the distance make up the women-focused exhibition ‘Women in the Past’.

The exhibition mines the collections of the Arts Association Heritage Trust and the Namibian Arts Association (NAA), and is curated by Actofel Ilovu.

His selection includes the familiar fine art and photography of distinguished artists such as Margaret Courtney-Clarke, Rika Nel, Imke Rust, Kay Cowley, Cathy McRoberts, Nicky Marais, Barbara Böhlke, Barbara Pirron, Jo Rogge, Anita Heystek,

Marina Aguiar, Helga Kohl and Dörte Berner.

Artists Christine Marais, Susan Mitchinson and Trudi Dicks are featured posthumously.

‘Women in the Past’ additionally presents basket weaving and embroidery by Elisabeth Ubukhais, Jolanda Somses, Margrate Kasungo, Mary Kalumbo and Mteamo Kalumba.

Exploring themes of development and reclamation in photography by Kohl, as well as more rural reflections on life and living in pieces by Mitchinson and Clarke, ‘Women in the Past’ offers a diverse range of subject matter and techniques employed by a number of artists who’ve spent years honing their skills while teaching the next generation of Namibian artists.

“A few years ago, I started experimenting and developed a new technique to work with natural ochre pigments from northern Kunene, combined with ash, charcoal and white acrylic paint,” says Böhlke.

“When I work with the locally sourced pigments I feel an immediate connection: The rich, warm colours, their texture, even their smell brings associations with vast inner psychological spaces I find embodied in the physical environment of the Namibian landscape,” she says.

Böhlke has taught art at the Barbara Böhlke Art School for over 25 years and joins artists such as Marais and McRoberts, who led and taught in the visual art departments at the College of the Arts and the University of Namibia.

Though the exhibition title suggests that the artists featured are from a bygone era, many are still practising.

‘Dust on the Wind’, Courtney-Clarke’s sprawling retrospective recently exhibited in Austria, and ‘Bearings’, Marais’ latest solo, just closed at the National Art Gallery of Namibia.

Böhlke’s ‘The Time Between’ and Rogge’s ‘Elective Affinities’ (‘Die Wahlverwandtschaften’) are incoming at The Project Room in Windhoek in August and September.

While ‘Women in the Past’ lacks representation of black and women of colour, partially explained by the racial restrictions and resulting lack of resources of the era as well as ongoing class, access and socio-economic factors, things are changing.

“Except for Inatu Indongo whose work we don’t have in the collection, black women were mostly doing art for functional purposes, which we called crafts,” says Ilovu.

Today artists such as Tuli Mekondjo, Elisia Nghidishange, Ina-Maria Shikongo, Maria Mbereshu, Michelle Isaak, Foibe Amundaba, Lynette Diergaardt and Lynette Musukubili are filling these gaps and Ilovu looks forward to exhibiting many more.

“I encourage upcoming artists, especially women, to come and see the exhibition,” says Ilovu.

“Also anyone who wants to learn the history of Namibian art and see its footsteps.”

‘Women in the Past’ will be on display at the Namibian Arts Association until 23 August.

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com