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Cameroonian artist explores loneliness in art |
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Boipelo Moagaesi  Cameroon born artist Justine Gaga recently opened her art exhibition at the Alliance Francaise de Gaborone. Having won a scholarship and grant by the French cultural agency “Cultures France” Gaga has had the privilege of a three- month residency in Botswana that culminated in this Art exhibition.
Speaking of her experiences, Justine stated that she from the onset was excited about coming to Botswana as she has an immense love for the country and its people. Her three-month residency at Thapong Visual Arts Centre has been quite fulfilling. Here Justine created a two-and-a-half metre installation of a person, using material from white take away boxes that she found in abundance, accurately noting Batswana’s love for take aways and Mma Seapei food. The body of this installation was also used from recycled material being, pieces of thrown away wire which she added to the iron she had in molding her frame. Justine is quick to mention and give thanks to the Thapong Visual artists’ contribution to the piece as they helped in its creation.
The artist’s work in Botswana has also included travelling to Francistown, Gantsi and Maun. Delighted at this exchange programme and Justine’s zeal and passion as she went from place to place painting trees, Thapong Visual Arts Centre’s Coordinator Reginald Bakwena said: “I often warned her, ‘be careful! You will get into trouble from the environmentalist’.” However, and thankfully, Justine survived the odds.
At the exhibition itself, Gaga presented her painting and concurrent throughout her work was the theme of human loneliness and solitude. Explaining this Justine stated “You are born alone and you die alone. We are strangers and foreigners in this world.” Most of the images presented in her paintings were of long, drawn out images of people and although surrounded by others, or found in communal settings, feelings of isolation broke through. This theme of “solitude” is further emphasized by two random circles in each painting which the artist describes as “winds of turbulence and the inherit tension”.
Admiring the painting on display, Humphrey Chibanda, first secretary at the Zambian High Commission, said: “Her work is instructive and very nice. Look at the painting of the refugees, one man looks hopeless and defeated while held by another for solace.”
The exhibition is open to the public and will run until November 24, thanks to Alliance Francaise de Gaborone, French Embassy and Thapong Visual Arts Centre.
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