Balance for Better: Art, re-designing the Woman’s Space….

“Balance for Better: Redesigning the Woman’s Space” opened at the Zimbabwe National Gallery last night. I was thrilled to be able to attend;
“Thank you National Gallery of Zimbabwe and team for a tight and well-curated art #exhibition , thought-provoking dance and theatre, stimulating company- stirring speeches short and to the point- a special, affirmative and refreshing evening…”

Title:  “Creative Re-imagining”

Artist: Lin Barrie 

Year: 2019

Medium: Mixed media; acrylic and beadwork on canvas

Dimensions: 61 x 61 cm

Creative Re-imagining by Lin Barrie
My artwork titled Creative Re-imagining

My artwork reflects the importance of cultural inheritance, skills and crafts which are traditionally “woman’s work“, such as hut painting and beading- it does not elevate these roles over modern progressive roles for women, but honours the cultural inheritance which in turn enables and empowers women to unleash creative energy, to think “outside their traditional space” and to splinter their traditional roles as housekeepers/carers into redesigning a new space.  Bright endeavours cleverly build on traditional roles, using lessons learnt from experience to help women to compete and rise in the new world…

many days spent beading this canvas gave me much time to think about women’s roles….!

My painting “Creative Re-imagining” on canvas takes inspiration from Xangana hut painting designs from Chief Chitsa’s area in the  lowveld of Zimbabwe, (originally created on clay walls from natural bark and earth pigments), and embellishes the surface with glass seed beads, traditionally used in creating skirts and body adornment. These decorative symbols of ‘womens crafts’ splinter and explode to create a new space.

My outfit by Zuvva, Joyce Chimyanye

The National Gallery is empowering established and new artists alike to find and renew their voices…

There was much inspiration to be had, viewing such varied artworks, here are just a few examples…..

Cassie (Sandy’s) art installation
Georgina
WOW!
fashion tentacles…celebrating natural beauty…

innovative use of pencil shavings
the tangled web we weave…..
incredible and inspiring, Gillian Rosselli
shades of Gustave Klimt, using Zim Notes instead of gold leaf!!!….stunning
multimedia inspiration

Booker Sipeyiye and Kelli Milner (Barker) admire Janet’s fabulous work..Kelli, my daughter, is a professional Make Up artist , whom I often collaborate with….. and Booker is a master puppet maker and re-cycled art guru..I look forward to collaborating with him for the upcoming Handcrafts Zimbabwe Craft and Wine fair..
performance art is dynamic, dramatic, and adds depth to the occasion…

About wineandwilddogs

Lin Barrie The Save Valley Conservancy stretches along the upper reaches of the great Save River in the south east of Zimbabwe. The Gonarezhou National Park laps against the southern banks of the Save River and between these two nestles the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve. These three celebrated wildlife areas form part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, (GLTFCA)- a unique wilderness jewel which is home to the “Big Five” (endangered Black and White rhinos, elephants, buffalo, lion, leopard) and the ”Little Six” (Klipspringer, Suni, Duiker, Steenbok, Sharpe's Grysbok and Oribi). Endangered African wild dogs, Cheetah, Brown hyena, Bat-eared foxes and a host of special birds and plants contribute to the immense variety of this ecosystem. Communities around the GLTFCA contribute to innovative partnerships with National Parks and the private sector, forming a sound base on which to manage social, economic and environmental issues. This is home to artist and writer Lin Barrie and her life partner, conservationist Clive Stockil. Expressing her hopes, fears and love for this special ecosystem with oil paints on canvas, Lin Barrie believes that the essence of a landscape, person or animal, can only truly be captured by direct observation. Lin Barrie states: “Through my art, and my writing, I feel an intimate connection with the natural world, and from my extensive field sketches of wild animals, people and landscapes, I create larger works on canvas. Lin's work is in various public and private collections in South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Australia, England, Canada, Sweden and the United States of America. She is represented by galleries in South Africa, Zimbabwe, England, Kenya and Florida, USA.
This entry was posted in abstract art, Africa, africa, African child, art, art collaboration, art exhibition, art on clothes, beauty, community conservation, crafts, cultural beliefs, culture, dance, family, FashionArt, film, Lin Barrie Art, Lin Barrie publication, love, Machangana culture, media, music, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, oral history, photography, printmaking, re-cycled art, re-cycled products, sculpture, Shangaana people, theatre, tradition, video, wall art, wood sculpture, Xangana, zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Art Gallery and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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