Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
There are mixed feelings regarding the chosen National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) Legends@40 trophy with some saying it should have been designed in a simpler way while others are saying it represents what the organisers of the awards, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ), want.
This comes days after the trophy design was unveiled by NACZ following a competition that they ran to get the best design.
A fine artist, 25-year-old Derwin Guti who specialises in ballpoint-pen drawings, beat 10 other entrants.
After the unveiling of the trophy people started expressing their views on the winning design.
Visual artiste, George Masarira said the trophy did not have an identity as it is unnecessarily complicated.
“The trophy that has been chosen has too much detail. Simplicity would have been more powerful than what is there.
It doesn’t have an identity and doesn’t represent something about the arts sector,” said Masarira.
He said the trophy design was therefore not appealing to the artistes.
“It took the elements from the previous trophy and added a flame that looks like the one from independence. It has an arch which to me isn’t appealing to the eye. It was supposed to be simple and straightforward,” said Masarira.
Award winning musician, Vusa Mkhaya concurred with Masarira saying the trophy should have been designed in a simpler way.
He said when he first saw the eternal flame on the trophy, he thought it was the Seventh Day Adventist Church logo.
“It’s good, but I think it looks like the Seventh Adventist Church logo. It could have been kept a bit simple in my opinion,” said Vusa Mkhaya.
Renowned poet, writer and songwriter Chirikure Chirikure on the other hand said the trophy met the criteria that was wanted by the NACZ.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s what the National Arts Council wanted. It symbolises the purpose of celebrating the legends. In my understanding, it’s a once-off trophy that’ll be given to the legends so for that purpose, it meets the criteria,” said Chirikure.
According to NACZ, Guti’s trophy design was well thought out and was in support of the award’s theme. They said the design also identified with the programme and the organisation.
“Derwin’s design incorporates all the items related to the Legends Nama@40 combining creatively known and enduring features like the eternal flame which appears to originate from the revered flagship symbol of ultimate achievement. The shape of the trophy and its opening at the stand base is quite creative and makes it unique,” said NACZ.
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