Broken Arrow; Qhaqhoo & Nxabe

This weekend the Kalk Bay Modern took part in South Africa’s biggest art and design expo, the Design Indaba. The Indaba is recognised for its high curatorial standard, displaying and promoting only the best of local creativity. More info on KBM’s participation will be following shortly.

[Click on the link below to view the Design Indaba’s homepage]

 http://www.designindaba.com/

In the meantime, back at the Gallery, the current exhibition, Broken Arrow, has provided me with many beautiful and exciting images to share with you as well as a range of new artists most of whom are from the Kuru Art Project in D’Kar, western Botswana. 

‘Kuru’ is a Naro word meaning ‘to do’ or ‘to create’. The Project began in 1990 as part of the Kuru Development Trust and has built a name for itself and its artists, most of whom have exhibited internationally. The project initiators were careful not to ‘teach’ or ‘instruct’ these artists and as such there work is authentic and original, coming from the heart.

The work above is by an artist named Xgaoc'o x'are (or Qhaqhoo) who grew up in the Ghanzi District and joined the art project in 1992. He participated in the Graphica Creativa Exhibition in 1993 [see link below], where the Kuru Art Project won a trophy. Consequently he was invited to participate in the Intergrafia'94 World Award Winners Gallery, in Katowice, Poland and in Ronneby, Sweden and many other prestigious art events in northern Europe. 

 http://www3.jkl.fi/taidemuseo/graphica_creativa/e_index.htm

The painting below is by artist Nxabe. She also grew up in the Ghanzi District and joined the project in 1992. She has taken part in many local and international exhibitions together with the other Kuru artists and her work often appears in the yearly calendar of the Kuru art project.

I find this particular work enchanting. The colours are beautifully harmonious and her application of paint is interesting in its thinness – in some areas almost transparent. The two doll-like female figures are what capture me the most. There is something about the gentle, curious way in which they inhabit there peaceful, abstract world that is soothingly serene and dreamlike.