Chronicle Editor
Angela Sibanda, Showbiz Reporter
Despite the hardships that were brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, so many people discovered their talents in arts during that period as they sought to make a living while locked down in their homes.
Plumtree town is one of the places where artists discovered and perfected their skills during the lockdowns.
As part of its outreach programme to discover, nurture, and promote local talent, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo this week visited Plumtree border town for a three-day workshop that drew artists from the town and surrounding rural areas.
The workshop came as a follow-up after the meeting that the gallery, in partnership with the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Recreation held in the border town where artists aired their challenges and also came up with possible solutions to help artists sell and make a living out of their craft.
On Wednesday, a group of 12 independent artists who have ventured into drawing, painting, curving, and beading gathered for the first day of the workshop at the town hall.
The artists brought their readily made art pieces which were displayed and from the look of things, the artists possess great talent but need professional assistance in the presentation of their art.
They were taken through educative sessions on how they can improve their artwork and create marketable brands that can stand in competition with other works from across the country and worldwide.
In her address, NGZ in Bulawayo regional director Silenkosi Moyo said the outreach was meant to give up-and-coming artists an opportunity to showcase their art since most never get to do so because of the stiff competition in the industry.
“We’ve been focusing more on Bulawayo artists for different reasons, but now, we’re aiming at reaching out to all artists in our region.
Most of these artists don’t get to have their work displayed in the gallery because of the stiff competition and it’s usually small mistakes that disqualify their work.
We’re, therefore, going around the region equipping them with necessary skills that they need to have such as being able to write their own biographies and set a standard for their art,” Moyo said.
She encouraged artists to come up with ways to navigate their day-to-day challenges without having to reduce the value of their work.
“We’re aware of the bread and butter challenges that we all come across, but we should not reduce the value of our hard work just to survive.”
Moyo challenged artists to know the laws and policies governing the practice of art in the country such as the National Development Strategy (NDS1) and other critical documents.
She said this will assist them to produce marketable works and help them shape the direction of their craft.
Facilitated by renowned artist Charles Bhebhe, the first day of the workshop focused on the creation of artist statements, biography writing, and the challenges in pricing artworks.
Lupane-born Bhebhe has created a name internationally with his works having been featured in both local and foreign galleries. He has represented Zimbabwe on various platforms including the 57th Venice Biennale, the Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, and Germany.
In his presentation, Bhebhe urged artists to invest their minds in what they create, critically think through their ideas, and be able to control their own market and the value of their artwork.
“Before working on anything, as an artist you have to think first. No art speaks for itself, you have to create a piece that people will be able to decode its message and be able to follow its meaning using your statement for that particular piece of work.
It’s also advised to seek the ideas of friends who appreciate art in order for you to shape the direction of your piece.
“When selling art, let’s not charge based on our daily challenges.
It would be wise to create a series of artworks to promote more sales and to have a variation of artworks that cater to different people in the society so that you don’t end up taking any price offers,” said Bhebhe.
He also advised artists against having their art sold on every corner of the streets.
“I know many may think this is the best idea to sell art, but in reality, things that are readily available are cheap. So the best thing is to produce beautiful art but in small quantities.”
Bhebhe further urged artists to take pride in their culture as Kalanga artists and embrace their hometown if they are to make it in life.
The artists also took part in group exercises where they took turns to present their analysis of artworks by artists from different parts of the world.
The workshop included lessons on digital marketing, framing, and presentation of artworks.
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