Don’t miss this special exhibition at all!
“Mvula’s artwork and personal life are influenced by his early experiences in rural Namibia” states Dr. Meredith Palumbo in an introduction for his catalog Identity.
She further goes on to state that “Mvula’s subject matter references his rural roots and includes depictions of cattle, traditional objects, African dress and the landscapes of northern Namibia.”
This is visible in this exhibition that showcases his body of work over the last ten years. Mvula’s continued interrogation into the figure of the cattle has highlighted its ability to be a metaphor for the society.
In the Oongombe installation that is made up of 35 stone sculptures, representative of the heads of cattle was created over the period of a year. Mvula labored to create an impactful work that can be read as a metaphor for the Namibian people.
He says “Head is part of the body; the head is someone in charge of leading (a group), the head is the place of our mind and your mental abilities.” The heads have the ability to represent numerous things and
“My intention is to have massive production of heads of cattle, with my physical forces.”
Mvula hopes to use the large installation to symbolize the Namibian nation as a herd that moves together and when one disrupts the flow eg. not following road safety rules he can put the rest in danger.
The exhibition will be on at the National Art Gallery of Namibia from 9 May -22 June 2019 in the Main Gallery.
