Yebo Art Gallery’s curated exhibition Swaziland NOW! was a big success at The Barn at MTN Bushfire.
Yebo’s Director Aleta Armstrong said “The thirty local artists who exhibited their new work received excellent exposure with the thousands of visitors who came to see the show. Visitors loved seeing what is going on in the contemporary art scene in Swaziland and I’m so thankful to all the artists who participated. We had established professional artists along with the up and coming artists exhibiting together. There were good sales as well! The exhibition has now moved to the Yebo art gallery at Mantenga so everybody can come and view it during the next month. The exhibition will also feature on our website permanently. It was also great to partner with the EU who organised a photo competition and displayed the winning entries at the exhibition. It was a hectic weekend, our shop was also very busy as visitors loved our textile and T-shirt range. We loved being at The Barn and interacting with the wonderful talks and performances that happened within the space which added a wonderful new dimension to our usual art exhibitions.”
Mbongeni Dlamini representing Bushfire added “The Barn is an increasingly important part of MTN Bushfire and indeed of the arts scene in Swaziland. This year Yebo curated Swaziland Now in the barn, drawing on work from over 30 local artists. In the course of 3 days this work was seen by thousands of people. Some artists made sales, others made networks, some provided lessons, others learnt. As a visual artist, the exhibition in the Barn was of particular interest to me. I felt that the selection of works was broad and varied and showcased the richness and potential of contemporary art in Swaziland.
It is important that MTN Bushfire engage with all the arts, and Swaziland Now was a resounding success, echoed by Nicola Bellomo , Makila James and Joy Ndwandwe. The space allows for expression, provides support for local practitioners and allows for interaction with a foreign audience/network. This was a successful first exhibition at The Barn which has huge potential to grow! As a representative of MTN Bushfire, I can only hope we develop and evolve the space and partnerships at the next festival. Very many thanks to our visitors, our crew, Yebo Gallery, ArtReach, Edladleni Café, the European Union Delegation, and the Global Shapers Mbabane Hub.”
Swaziland NOW exhibition on at Yebo Art Gallery on Cultural Village Road. Wed – Sat 9 – 5 and Sundays from 10-3. Free Entry. View the work online!
Images from the Bushfire Festival and Swaziland Now Exhibition:
Selection of articles covering the exhibition & festival: