DOWNGRADING of women is the general order of the day in most African societies; this has prompted most contemporary institutions to necessitate programmes to counter this nostalgic behaviour.
BY KENNEDY NYAVAYA
Many ways have been devised to efficiently stamp a new discourse against the heinous treatment of women, with art fast becoming one of the most effective ways.
Thursday night marked the official launch of the Out of Darkness exhibition at the National Art Gallery (NGZ) where an array of artistes will showcase their work in line with a theme of “Celebrating being an African woman in the 21st century.”
The exhibition, which will run till April 20, comes after the celebrated International Women’s Day that took place earlier this month which is a platform for female artistes to articulate and counter patriarchal hegemony through different mediums including new media, painting and sculptor.
Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province Miriam Chikukwa who spoke at exhibition said the display of artistic work will help in amplifying the appeal for impartiality between sexes with appreciation of vast female accomplishments.
“This exhibition gives us an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women in Zimbabwe while calling for greater equality.
“It is an occasion to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women from yesterday, today and tomorrow,” she said Chikukwa lauded exhibiting artistes for their obstinacy in interrogating grave issues affecting the bulk of females in the country and worldwide.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“I want to applaud these artistes for their vision and tenacity, this exhibition raises the profile of female artistes by providing a platform to interrogate themes that are close to their hearts.”
One of the artistes with her work on show, Vimbai Mangoma, said it is a necessary platform that will help not only in lobbying for equality but also expose their work to relevant stakeholders in the market.
This year marks the second edition of the exhibition where 31 local artistes and one guest artist from Switzerland are showing off their talent.
