•IT is because of love for their culture and the arts that a few institutions in the corporate world in Lusaka and other towns in Zambia have started purchasing art works for their offices and board rooms.

By Roy Kausa –

THIS is what those who claim to be ‘abstract’ artists now call modern contemporary art: Splashing that paint on canvas, sometimes the artist dips his or her feet in paint and walks all over the surface of the canvas.
The artist may even use fire to create an envisaged masterpiece!
The biggest question many local viewers in Zambia and other parts of the world now ask themselves during art exhibitions by the ‘abstract’ artists is this: Where is this sort of creativity leading to ?
In the last 30 years that I have been writing on the visual culture in Zambia I have met people who do not just buy a painting because it is ‘modern art,’ but because the art work relates to and reflects the Zambian way of life.
And it is because of love for their culture and the arts that a few institutions in the corporate world in Lusaka and other towns in Zambia have started purchasing art works for their offices and board rooms.
In the last 10 years, the Zambian chief executive officers (CEO)s have—very commendably!—adorned their premises with rich Zambian paintings and sculptures.
In Lusaka for instance, the Post Newspaper, Lawrence Sikutwa Associates, Madison Insurance, Bay Port Financial Services, the Bank of Zambia, Cavmont Bank and individuals such as John Kapotwe, Wynter Kabimba and Luo Chilambwe are proud owners of both Zambian traditional and contemporary artworks.
IGNORANCE
However, this is not the case when it comes to the expatriates living in Zambia, include here the diplomats. The majority of these people collect what they term African art because of their ignorance about Zambian and indeed African art.
In most cases these expatriates buy art from Africa or Zambia to ‘help the poor artists.’
I remember a young friend of mine who served at a diplomatic mission in Lusaka for a good three years. He phoned me one Saturday morning:
“I am leaving Zambia for good. We have a small party at my house in Sunningdale this afternoon at 14:30 hours  just for friends, please come, and dress casual.”
I was really excited to go and meet some of the diplomats and chat with them over a bottle of beer. I looked my best in my old black jeans, red shirt and a cream khaki jacket; my feet were clad in expensive Italian brown leather shoes.
I arrived in Sunningdale around 15:00 hours and by that time the parking of cars outside this diplomat’s house showed that the event was well-attended.
I smiled as I paid the taxi driver his fare and walked slowly towards the gate. The security guards quickly opened the gate without asking questions, and before me was a sea of people of all shades and sizes under an enormous marquee.
The host came to meet me and introduced me to a number of ambassadors and his other friends.
The whole atmosphere was fantastic; there was plenty to eat, drink and on top of that the Zambian traditional music performed by the Zuba Ni Moto traditional ensemble of Lusaka was heart throbbing.
I had great fun, met a lot of new people and at 17:30 hours I called my friend aside to thank him for inviting me to his farewell party. My friend said he was very happy that I had come and then invited me into the house for a brief chat.
PAINTINGS
As we entered the sitting room, I noticed in one corner a pile of paintings which my friend said he would like to give to each of his deserving friends in Lusaka.
He said, “I would not like to take these back home—where I am I going to keep them? I have known some people who come to Africa on duty; they go back to their countries and throw away art they brought from Africa, because it is of no use.”
I thanked my friend for the offer but could not accept to be given a painting in such a manner. This narrative portrays a common practice among out-going diplomats winding up duty in Zambia.
To make things worse, my curiosity led me into a discovery that some of the expatriates seem to buy art from local artists to help the so-called poor Zambians!
To the contrary, Zambian art collectors value what they collect because they easily relate to the art forms in a painting or sculpture.
For instance, the abstract paintings by Vincentio Phiri are totally a new phenomenon appearing like a copy of Western modern art—yet when one studies Phiri’s work, it depicts the marks or indeed lines drawn by the feet of a nyau dancer!
Therefore it is not strange to find Vincentio’s work gaining popularity in Lusaka’s corporate world.
The companies which have adorned their walls with Phiri’s work understand the Zambian culture.
It is the same story with Victor Makashi’s pastel drawings. These drawings in rich colours at a glance may appear to be paintings by some one trying to imitate Picasso’s cubism art, but on the contrary, Victor’s work depicts the traditional geometric shapes created by traditional designers of the masquerades of the North-Western and Eastern Provinces of Zambia.
On the other hand William Bwalya Miko’s swirls, lines and splashes of thick paint on canvas symbolize the earthly dust of hordes of refugees running away from their war-torn countries. Miko’s works of art quickly remind many a viewer of the agonies of war and the hard lives of displaced people.
UNDERSTOOD
It is for the above reasons that the Zambian traditional art and contemporary art forms are more readily understood by those who have lived in this part of Africa than those outsiders who claim to be art experts from a one-sided and therefore limited standpoint.
The history of Zambian art spans a period of 50 years this year. Yet Zambia is probably the only country in the sub-region without a public university offering courses in music, performing, media and visual arts.
It is due, in part, to the absence of serious education in the arts that Zambia has so far failed to host an international cultural festival.
One therefore hopes that as this country celebrates her golden jubilee, Government and the private sector shall come together and plan on how to invest in this sector to develop the arts industry. – Feature courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.