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Khahliso Ncube
THE Art Gallery and Amakhosi Cultural centre are reputable places in Bulawayo for one to exhibit but they are now beyond affordability to many artists.
The city’s streets are now filled with artists who set up their art work alongside the road and walking paths. The reason being; it gives them more exposure than taking their work to the licensed agents.
Amakhosi Cultural centre is now more like ruins and that discourages artists to take their work there.
The National gallery takes long to give the artists the exposure they need as most of them do the art so that they can put food on the table.
“I must sell something daily. The licensed agents cannot do that for me because their sales have procedures and it takes time for me to get money and that will make my children starve and be homeless,” said Qhubani Moyo whose displays his work in Makokoba at St Patrick’s school precast wall.
Resident painters for the National Art Gallery do not pay to have their work displayed, but for outsiders they pay a certain amount.
This makes it difficult for the less fortunate artists and craft designers to display their work. The amount they charge for outsiders depends on how much you are selling your paintings and how much you will get from them.
“I cannot afford to pay rent for my work at the art gallery since I cannot afford to buy material and end up using material that I get from rubbish bins. I use newspapers, expired flour and any wood material thrown away by people,” he added.
Most of the street artists have a natural talent, they did not go to schools of art and craft to learn what they are doing.
One Sibangiswani Moyo discovered his talent when he was sitting at home cutting papers for his niece which were needed for her homework.
“My niece came home with work from school and l had to help her and as l was cutting the papers I realised that l could cut out cartoons out of plain paper then that is when I started cutting out cartoons or any other design then paint it on t-shirts or sneakers. All my designs are handmade I do not use a computer to draw them out,” said Sibangiswani Moyo.
The street artists believe that selling their hand work on the streets gives them more money and cut costs for them because they do not pay any agents to sell their work for them.
For one to be a resident at the art gallery they have to write an application letter and attach their paintings together with their prices.
Online Reporter