Rock art
In this semi-desert country, rocky massifs are home to high concentrations of parietal representations. Namibian rock art offers a precious insight into the history of a traditional society through magical forms of expression. The Brandberg massif and the Twyfelfontein valley are veritable galleries of ancient art. Reproductions of these works can be seen at the National Museum of Namibia in Windhoek. On display is a copy of the famous White Lady of Brandberg, a marvel of rock art carved in pink granite. A volcanic site estimated to be 140 million years old, its name means "mountain of fire". Since 1970, archaeologists have recorded several thousand representations, most of them human. The works are attributed to nomadic peoples, ancestors of the Bushmen or San. These pictorial testimonies take us back to the first inhabitants of southern Africa. For this reason, extinct animal species such as the quagga, an ancestor of the zebra, mingle with antelopes, rhinoceroses and gazelles. The precision of the drawing, both in the assurance of contour and movement and in the skill of the details, is remarkable. The most famous site in Namibia, and indeed on the African continent, is undoubtedly Twyfelfontein or "hesitating fountain". It contains one of the greatest concentrations of rock art in the heart of its ancestral massifs. But among the drawings engraved on stone by the Bushmen here, there is a low percentage of human figures (10%), as well as an abundance of geometric figures. These motifs include rain falling on a giraffe, as the bushmen attributed this power to the long-necked animal.
The interpretation of Namibian rock art is the subject of numerous hypotheses. Hybrid creatures are generally understood as shamans adorning themselves with their powers in the spirit world. These healing diviners are thought to be the first artists to have carved and painted the rock faces. During the magical rites performed by the San, hunters resorted to scarification to ensure a successful hunt. The White Lady is actually a hunter with a white-painted body, armed with bow and arrow.
First museum
German colonization was as short-lived as it was decisive. It was marked by the almost total disappearance of the Herero people, one of the founders of Namibian culture. Many settlers remained in Namibia after the end of German rule in 1915. Today, it is estimated that 25,000 Namibians are of German descent.
The first collection in Namibian history was the result of a local German project. They had the idea of putting out an appeal in the newspapers to save artifacts from being shipped to Europe. Governor Leutwein appointed an official to find a suitable location and allocated a budget for acquisitions. The Landesmuseum, inaugurated in Windhoek in 1907, became Namibia's first museum. The concept of an exhibition space was thus imported. In a second phase, South Africa took over management of the collection and founded the State Museum of Namibia. In a fledgling nation, the national museum had to learn how to appropriate its heritage, and its collections were organized by the settlers. In addition to superb reproductions of rock art, the permanent exhibition on the country's independence, featuring period photographs, is worth a visit. Outside the museum, an astonishing collection of locomotives and wagons adds a touch of originality to your visit.
Landscape art
At the beginning of the 20th century, a number of European painters discovered Namibia in awe. They set about painting the country's natural beauty, its variety and vast spaces, with realism and sometimes a touch of romanticism. Landscape art became a real artistic trend, dominating the country until the 1960s. Anita Steyn, born in 1955, is one of Namibia's most famous landscape artists. Trained in South Africa, she paints a turbulent, tortured nature, far removed from the first bucolic landscapes.
Meanwhile, in 1947, the Swakopmunder Arts Association was founded, the first Namibian arts association. Its volunteer members continue to promote the living arts. Music, theater, literature and fine art all have their place in the Swakopmunder space. The collection is gradually being developed, with a great deal of discernment.
In the 1970s, a number of Namibian artists distinguished themselves by turning to a form of abstraction.
A distinction can be made between artists born before and after independence. Some, like Margaret Courtney-Clarke and Nicola Brandt, document the past. They immortalize the traditions that founded Namibia's identity. Landscape art is carried by Barbara Böhlke and Nicky Marais, while spirituality is the domain of Ndasuunje Papa Shikongeni and Lukas Amakali. New themes are now emerging. Overconsumption preoccupies Fillipus Sheehama and Ismael Shivute, while social inequalities are denounced by artists Elvis Garoeb and Ilovu Homateni.
Some Namibian artists
Blythe Loutit, born in South Africa in 1940, is a Namibian artist renowned for her wildlife conservation work. Founder of the organization for the defense of rhinoceroses (SRT), she also produced illustrations for botanical works, for which she is renowned.
John Muanfagejo (1943-1987) is recognized as the leading international exponent of Namibian art. His talents as an engraver make him a role model for generations to come.
Paul Kiddo, born in 1949 in Namibia, is a self-taught artist. A house painter, one day he had the idea of using leftover paint to trace landscape patterns on pebbles. Encouraged by passers-by who noticed his work in front of his home, he moved to the capital to make a career for himself. He had to wait until 1992 to organize his first solo exhibition. After that, one exhibition followed another, making him one of Namibia's most popular artists. His oil paintings reproduce everyday scenes in a rather naive style. Villagers, wild animals and churches are often dominated by a vast blue sky.
Joseph Madisia, born in 1954, is considered the godfather of Namibian art and one of the first to achieve international recognition. His engravings and sculptures inspire the younger generation represented by Dingalo Shinyama, Hage Nasheotwalwa and Julia Hango. Throughout his life, he has been committed to transmitting his techniques and disseminating Namibian art.
Barbara Böhlke, born in 1958, lives in the capital where she teaches visual arts. She began by studying goldsmithing in Germany, before switching to oil painting. Her first exhibition took place in 1994, and four years later she opened her own art school. She interprets her brushstrokes on canvas as vectors of energy directly linked to her inner self. Her most abstract canvases are filled with dense color. More recently, she has turned to natural pigments. She has taken part in group exhibitions in Namibia, Zambia, South Africa, France and Italy.
Born in South Africa in 1962, Nicky Marais is now a leading Namibian artist. Painter, teacher and activist, in 2006 she founded VAN (Visual Artists Namibia) to defend the culture of her adopted homeland. Initially an abstract painter, she later drew her inspiration from desert cave art and the country's history. More recently, she has been introducing symbols using stencils and collage combined with more traditional media.
Ndasuunje Shikongeni, known as "Papa", was born in Windhoek in 1971. The artist who started out as a street painter now has many strings to his bow: musician, dancer, storyteller, activist, teacher, he is also a painter and sculptor. In this capacity, he is promoting papier-mâché in Namibia. In all his fields of activity, he evokes the history of Namibia, its rites, but also its sufferings, which he exhibits worldwide.
Namibian Photography
Three names stand out in the field of photography:
The pioneer, Margaret Courtney-Clarke, was born in Swakopmund in 1949. Her major theme was African women's art and disappearing traditions. In her collections, she immortalizes the creations of Namibian women in mural painting, beadwork and basketry.
Lukas Amakali, born in 1976, is also a painter and poet. The recipient of numerous awards, he sees his talent as a gift from heaven. Spirituality determines his entire artistic approach, which is why he calls himself an abstract photographer. His transparent superimposed planes give his pictures a ghostly quality.
The younger generation is led by Nicola Brandt. Born in 1983, the photographer is also a painter and video artist. She questions her country's colonial past and documents the mutation of natural landscapes.
Nowadays
Since 2017, Helen Harris and Gina Figueira's Start Art Gallery has combined online activities and physical presence to promote Namibian artists abroad.
It should be noted that Street Art is prohibited in Namibia. Innovative practices are favored by local artists, such as the art of salvaging and diverting objects, represented by Fillipus Sheehama. The finesse of his work on recycled paper can only be admired. The diversity of artistic approaches reflects the energy shaking Namibia's cultural scene.
