The Spanish Embassy in collaboration with the Cristobal Gabarron Foundation, on Thursday night officially opened the itinerant exhibition by Zimbabwean artists in honour of the late Spanish Ambassador Pilar Fuertes titled “The Spirit of Friendship: Entre Dos Aguas/ Pakati Pemagungwa” at a well–attended colorful event at Joina City.
On display were conceptualised paintings by 10 top contemporary Zimbabwean artists which marked the late ambassador’s contribution to the promotion of art and culture in Zimbabwe, closed yesterday.
Present at the occasion was the Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development deputy minister Jesse Majome and the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe executive director Elvas Mari among other guests.
“The late Ambassador was committed to strengthening ties between Zimbabwe and Spain and she believed that one genuine way of doing this was through the arts,” said the Spanish embassy deputy head of mission Romee Fisher.
She said during her three years in Harare the late ambassador had had deep respect for Zimbabwean artists, with many of whom she had managed to build personal friendships. Fuertes died in a car accident in Namibia last April.
Fisher said 21 works had been selected by an international jury, composed of members from the embassy, the Gabarron Foundation and experts from Spain and Zimbabwe, out of almost 70 pieces of high quality works by 35 artists.
“In these hard times of financial crisis and chaos, of which none of us can be alien to, I believe the need for artistic development is one of many challenges faced by artists nowadays around the world,” she added.
The exhibition showcased various well-crafted paintings by some of the country’s most talented artists including Charles Bhebe, Stephen Garan’anga, Freddy Tauro, John Kotzé, Misheck Masamvu, Wallen Mapondera, Owen Maseko, Anthony Bumhira, Tafadzwa Gwetai, Tracy Ann Strydom and Belinda Marshall.
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The pieces will be bought and donated by the Spanish Embassy to the Gabarron Foundation in Spain and will become part of its permanent collection where they will remain a single collection and will be exhibited.
The exhibition goes to National Gallery in Bulawayo where it runs between June 28 to July 1. It will also be shown in Spain and the United States.
