Nyakauru shines at Sculpture Symposium

At The Gallery
Artist Victor Nyakauru recently attended the International Sculpture Symposium in Icheon, South Korea where he represented Zimbabwe at this international platform of idea exchange and exposition of zeitgeist. Nyakauru had submitted three sketches of the prospective work to the organizers of the International Sculpture Symposium chose an all too familiar sketch which was one he had executed in the form of a frog at the Vanishing Wetlands fundraiser which was held in Harare in June of this year.

Thereafter the instructor in sculpture at the National Gallery School of Visual Art and Design set off to South Korea where he worked on a sculpture in 22 days that is now displayed in Seoulbong Park in Icheon. There the 2,1 meter sculpture of a woman pulling a travelling bag entitled “Travel Lady”, strides gracefully in granite and stainless steel. The work expresses the cosmopolitan experience and according to Nyakauru’s deduction, women travel more than men.

“The idea of an object in supposed motion seemed to have had a natural energy ingrained in it to the location the sculptures are located” said Nyakauru.
“The Seoulbong Park carries 17 years-worth of sculpture and attracts art lovers from all over the world. Having “Travel Lady” located in this park which attracts multitudes of tourists would identify with the traveler. It somehow stresses the universality of art with no regards for whichever place it is located.”

Nyakauru extended his thoughts on the Symposium and said it was highly informative as it exposed him to new materials and equipment.
“One tends to learn new techniques and as they are exposed to different kinds of sculpture from around the world,” he said.

“Working with something new was a challenge and it was difficult to work with the white granite. Machinery made the whole process more bearable.”
Nyakauru stated that the work will be displayed for a year on location at Seoulbong Park and will be moved thereafter to  Icheon City Council’s Permanent Collection. This came to the discussion to the matter of a city’s responsibility in the support, development and the preservation of art.

“Zimbabwe has a reputation in sculpture and this has continued to garner popularity as from the First Generation (of sculptors). On that international platform we are considered masters of the trade” he said.

“Icheon is an Art City and was accorded this status by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In terms of Zimbabwe we are lagging behind as you can only be awarded such a status in your city conducts two or more Art Festivals. You have to conduct Art Fairs and also have artworks in the public domain.” In relation to Harare, Nyakauru stated that the city is almost there but there is an absence of symposia, festivals and craft fairs.

“These events must be held annually and thus the selectors from UNESCO and must be held for at least ten years for your city to be considered as an Art City. Above all, these festivals, fairs and symposia are not supposed to be neighbourhood flings but International events. Icheon received the status in 2010 as they have held consecutive editions of the International Sculpture Symposium and the International Ceramics Festival. It is all about organization and synergies between the artists, the City Fathers and the Corporate World.”

Nyakauru stressed that if framework was put in place to make Harare an Art City, the economy would benefit immensely from such a move.
“Having International festivals in place contributes to the tourism of the country altogether. The city’s branding can even get a boost from that, it can be any Zimbabwean town. Icheon boasts having art from around the world strewn across it.

“If we had more public art we cannot be deemed serious by the Cultural Community around the world.”
With regards to the representation of nations at the symposium, six nations participated with nine artists therein.

South Korea was represented by the most artists numbering three artists whilst the remainder of the sculptors gathered there were each from a different continent.