Shamie Art set for solo exhibition at the Gallery

Langalakhe Mabena

Exciting female fabric artist Sinqobile “Shamiso” Dube, who trades by the name Shamie Art, is set to host a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on 20 June, as she will be showcasing some of her latest material.

The exhibition will start at 5:30 pm and everyone interested in artistry is invited.  Fabric art or textile art is a form of craft that uses clothes to construct practical or decorative objects. Shamie said she was excited to finally be doing her solo gig.

“It’s an honour to be finally doing this exhibition as I have been preparing for it for a while now. I will be showing some of my latest collections as the event will be themed ‘A Woman’s York: A Day in the Life of a Woman’. This exhibition is close to my heart and I promise those who will attend will have a great time,” said Shamie.

Shamie’s passion for fabric art started while she was studying at Eveline High School. She developed a desire for drawing, little knowing that it would be her career.

“I developed a passion for art while I was still a student at Eveline. When I enrolled for my A-level, I realised that it was not my thing hence I then decided to enrol at Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre, where my skills were polished. Of course, it was not easy to convince my parents that I wanted to do art as my career, but my dad finally supported me as he is also an artisan which is also a form of art, that has to do with the designing of machines,” said Shamie Art.

She became a professional artist five years ago, specialising in painting portraits using a pen. She was then advised to venture into fabric art by a curator who visited her home studio in Mpopoma.  She took the advice that then made it an easy way for her to recycle old clothes, enabling her to be one of the few female artists in Zimbabwe to focus on the fabric genre. It’s not easy for her to practise fabric art.

“Fabric is not a common art as many are used to painting and drawing, hence, many don’t understand how to frame the stuff, keep it and how to view it. It’s simple yet bold. It takes a person with a very sharp eye to understand what is communicated on fabric art. Getting my craft known is a challenge because it’s not common but I guess with time people will understand it. It’s my first time to have a studio housed at the gallery courtesy of the gallery’s seventh Residency Programme, hence, I guess my stay here will popularise my craft, especially with this coming exhibition,” said Shamie.

Her inspiration is United States of America artist Bisa Butler who has created a new genre of quilting that has transformed the medium. With pen art, she sold portraits in different places including Dubai, Sweden, London and Canada, to private clients. Shamie Art is also a mbira player. She is also into performance art which is artworks that are created through actions performed by the artiste or other participants, which may be live or recorded, spontaneous or scripted.