Art back in the Park!

Visual art is an arts facet that continues to make headway in the local arts sector. Though the majority of Malawians are yet to appreciate the importance of visual art and embrace paintings as important part of our lives, visual arts continue to make headway. This weekend, all roads lead to Four Seasons in Lilongwe where a major visual arts festival is set to take place.

During the Art in the Part festival, at least 45 local and international visual artists are expected to exhibit. This will be the 13th edition and will take place from May 8 to 10 at its traditional venue of Four Seasons Hotel. In an interview, Wesm board chairperson Nick Hall said this year’s edition will place emphasis on the organisation’s role in environmental protection, while also encouraging artists to interpret conservation themes in their own artistic expressions.

“The theme for the event focuses on Wesm’s work with wildlife clubs and the conservation of animals, plants and habitats. We also want to ensure that artists engage with environmental conservation in their own creative ways,” he said. Of the 45 selected participants, the majority are visual artists drawn from across the country, including Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba.

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The exhibition will also feature one artist from Zimbabwe and others from Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa. Hall noted that the standard of artwork done by the artists has continued to improve overtime making selection increasingly competitive saying there is growing interest. “The standard of work is increasing over time, and you can see the growing interest from artists aiming for international platforms,” he said.

While over 100 applications were received for this year’s edition, only 45 artists were selected, as the event can only accommodate a limited number of exhibitors. Hall said this high demand highlights the need for more exhibition spaces for visual artists across the country. “This shows there is need for such platforms, even in cities like Blantyre, where we need more people who are passionate about visual arts,” he said.

Weighing in Wesm branch manager Chifuniro Dalireni said the selection process has been highly guided by the quality and originality of the submitted works. He said maintaining high standards is key to ensuring the credibility of the exhibition and encouraging artistic growth adding that quality remains the main factor in determining who gets selected for the showcase.

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