‘Timeless Tapestry’, an ode to Namibia

The wonder of Namibia as seen from above and in the expanses of the country’s unique landscapes is at the heart of ‘Timeless Tapestry’, an artistic ode to the place we call home, currently on show at The Bellhaus Atelier & Galerie.

Featuring 13 international artists each imbuing their art with distinct impressions of the country, ‘Timeless Tapestry’, curated by The Bellhaus’ Andrea Behnsen, aims to highlight Namibia’s everyday majesty.

“I wanted artists outside of Namibia to remind us that we live in a remarkable, multifaceted country. Visitors know this, but it’s almost like Namibians still need convincing,” says Behnsen in the exhibition statement.

For the featured artists, there is no doubt that Namibia is a land of unparalleled beauty, quietude and inspiration.

In paintings by South African artist Renée Rossouw, Namibia’s dunes and regal oryx are rendered in bold and strikingly minimalist frames, while Gregg Price’s alternately smooth and textured tea bowls evoke the country’s coastal and high desert areas.

“The series of wooden carved paintings attempt to capture the essence of the dry Namibian landscape,” says Rossouw in the exhibition catalogue.

“The slowness of carving embodied as silence, the purposeful minimal approach embodies the barren beauty rich in contrast. The colours selected lends itself to a surreal approach in painting, highlighting the unfamiliar and magic that this land beholds.”

Photography by Marlene Neumann is an exploration of natural spaces created through a unique black-and-white darkroom process as sites such as Sossusvlei lie moody below a swath of dramatic cloud formations.

Sublime in seemingly undulating terracotta and stoneware shells by Lucie De Moyencourt, inspired by scenes from the air when flying over Namibia, vibrant and whimsical in pelican, marula fruit, acacia pod and fog beetle tableware by Cara Saven and delicately detailed in the John Bauer’s matchbox textile mosaics reminiscent of Namibia’s shifting sands and sea, ‘Timeless Tapestry’ is wonderfully woven and abundant in charm.

Also featuring intersections and impressions by Amy Ayanda, Anha, David Ross, Marilila Kyrtata, Micheal Chandler, Something Good Studio and Wanderland, as well as an intriguing exterior mural by local string artist Ndako Nghipandulwa, this keenly curated homage to home is supported by Goethe-Institut Namibia and will be on display until 13 April.

An artist talk featuring David Ross, Gregg Price, Carike Greffrath, Marlene Neumann and Amy Ayanda will take place at Bellhaus Atelier & Galerie on 9 April at 18h00.

Entrance is free.

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