Entertainment Reporter
THE John Muafangejo Art Gallery, situated in the Katutura Youth Arts Centre, has once again reopened its doors. The old has been dusted off for the new, with the art gallery’s walls rejuvenated with fresh hues, and its art studios also renovated by NEO Paints.
The gallery is named after Muafangejo, the father of printmaking in Namibia, who is best known for his linocut works adorned with black and white lines. His works showcase historical scenes dating back to pre-independence and the peculiarities of life growing up on the fringes of northern Namibia.
The JMAC gallery, with its new white walls, features paintings from the JMAC collection, predominantly made up of donated prints from artists who trained at the Youth Arts Centre.
Speaking at the renovation’s unveiling, Michelle Van Wyk said that the National Art Gallery of Namibia is excited to partner with NEO Paints in its efforts to decentralize art activities and create beautiful venues for creative workshops within communities.
“The NAGN has seen many changes to our buildings, and the recent refreshing of the JMAC is testimony to the fact that the NAGN team is hard at work to ensure that life is bursting through our spaces as we fulfil the objectives listed in our act on a meta level, and through our mandate as the National custodian of Namibian art and its people through excellence,” Van Wyk said.
On what would have been Muafangejo’s 80th birthday, the 5th of October, the National Art Gallery opened an exhibition titled, “Omusimanekewa John” (honourable John in English), the name inspired by a small print that the artist himself made during his time in South Africa studying.
Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of Muafangejo, fellow artist Papa Shikongeni expressed, “Muafangejo inspired me to draw from my culture.” He further emphasized that Muafangejo’s art served as a spring of inspiration, guiding his own creative journey towards depicting culture and spirituality through his own artistic presence.
