New Beginnings for COTA graduates
tjil talks about the annual and exciting exhibition by College of the Arts graduates, back for 2018.
New Beginnings is an exhibition of work by graduates of the College of the Arts (COTA) and is now in its ninth term with the National Art Gallery of Namibia. The core purpose of the exhibition is to celebrate another year of learning, thinking and making.
Each year New Beginnings has a different feel, depending on the material and conceptual choices of the final-year students. The students come from all corners of Namibia, often from rural areas where the concerns and hardships of their families are sometimes an inspiration for their work. The works will include that of Mathews Alfeus’ fighting dog sculptures made from reclaimed metals, a metaphor for the disengagement and aggression he finds within his community, while Kambezunda Ngavee was inspired by the traumatic history of his Ovaherero ancestors, and worked these issues into his stone carvings. Davido Indongo went on a personal journey of discovery into his Ondonga culture and interviewed older family members about the use of ‘totems’ in their interactions. Julien Brandt went on a spiritual journey of her own, making art in order to achieve an inner healing. Her paintings are essentially a personal reflection.
In the Visual Art Department, students are also encouraged to learn different craft skills, and Samantha Shaalulange and Hilde Hangula selected textile design as their major subject. Tweyapewa Mbendeka used a soldering iron to work into pieces of perspex to create a light rendition of the heavy memories of war.
The exhibition is currently open to the public and will close on 25 April. The artworks are available for purchase.
Staff Reporter
New Beginnings is an exhibition of work by graduates of the College of the Arts (COTA) and is now in its ninth term with the National Art Gallery of Namibia. The core purpose of the exhibition is to celebrate another year of learning, thinking and making.
Each year New Beginnings has a different feel, depending on the material and conceptual choices of the final-year students. The students come from all corners of Namibia, often from rural areas where the concerns and hardships of their families are sometimes an inspiration for their work. The works will include that of Mathews Alfeus’ fighting dog sculptures made from reclaimed metals, a metaphor for the disengagement and aggression he finds within his community, while Kambezunda Ngavee was inspired by the traumatic history of his Ovaherero ancestors, and worked these issues into his stone carvings. Davido Indongo went on a personal journey of discovery into his Ondonga culture and interviewed older family members about the use of ‘totems’ in their interactions. Julien Brandt went on a spiritual journey of her own, making art in order to achieve an inner healing. Her paintings are essentially a personal reflection.
In the Visual Art Department, students are also encouraged to learn different craft skills, and Samantha Shaalulange and Hilde Hangula selected textile design as their major subject. Tweyapewa Mbendeka used a soldering iron to work into pieces of perspex to create a light rendition of the heavy memories of war.
The exhibition is currently open to the public and will close on 25 April. The artworks are available for purchase.
Staff Reporter
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article