On the 14th of October, 2023, Yebo held an opening for the Summer Exhibition, a group show featuring twenty-eight professional and emerging artists from Eswatini and South Africa. Encompassing a wide range of mediums and materials, from sculpture, to photography and painting, the exhibition showcased the growing talent within the visual arts in the country. In a brief opening speech for the event, Yebo Art Gallery co-founder Aleta Armstrong noted the importance of corporate entities supporting and growing the art scene through the acquisition of art from local artists. Aleta Armstrong’s opening address was then followed by opening remarks from the European Union Ambassador to Eswatini, Dessislava Choumelova who spoke to her personal connection to the arts as a way to emphasize its universal importance in every society. Both speakers also touched on the economic viability of the visual arts through corporate entities and through its potential in job creation.
As the exhibition features so many artists, there is a breadth as well as a depth in the themes and subject matter tackled in the work, making this show Yebo’s most diverse to date. The exhibition was very well attended with local art lovers, artists and dignitaries, such as United Nations Resident Coordinator, George Wachira. For many artists, the opening presented a great opportunity for them to see audience reactions to their work and see their work exhibited in a formal setting.
The Summer Exhibition runs until December 22, 2023. Yebo looks forward to more local and international engagement with the exhibition and invites all art lovers to engage with the show.