‘Modern Transforms Traditional’ at Omba

For artists Elisia Nghidishange and Paulus Kambinda, pottery is a memory tightly knit into their childhood.

A hunk of clay given as a reward for Nghidishange helping her mother prepare the material for her traditional pots and a treasured skill passed down from Kambinda’s grandmother when the artist was a boy.

All grown up and still playing with clay, Nghidishange and Kambinda present ‘Modern Transforms Traditional’. Currently on display at the Omba Gallery and presenting the fruit of a John Muafangejo Art Centre and Namibian Arts Association initiative, the exhibition sees the artists marrying traditional pottery techniques with modern designs.

“I work mostly by hand, creating shapes based on traditional, functional and utilitarian pots, and decorate them with different patterns that are inspired by Oshiwambo objects like ondje and ekipa, and recreated from Ondelela patterns,” says Nghidishange, whose modern, creative patterned pots beguile many a patron wandering into the Namibia Craft Centre gallery in their array of shape, size and design.

“Working at the JMAC studio was great, especially in getting a chance to work with Paulus Kambinda, a crafter and potter from Kavango who has experience working with Kavango clay.”

Presenting a modest collection of minimally adorned traditional Kavango pottery, Kambinda is proud to work with clay from his hometown of Rundu after being discovered by JMAC’s Deon Keib while selling his pottery in the street, and subsequently invited to join the artists’ residency.

“I enjoyed work with Elisia and learnt new skills and techniques. It is my first time to exhibit my work in a gallery. I am curious to see how it goes,” he says, and Nghidishange is similarly hopeful.

“I hope that with all the effort I have put into this exhibition, I will be able to raise enough money to finish building my visual art studio up in the north.”

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