PINEHAS NAKAZIKO
John Kalunda, a Kavango East-born artist, on Sunday completed a mural project, titled Team Namibia, in the capitals central business district (CBD).
The mural was painted at Post Street Mall in celebration of the successes of local athletes, including Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi.
“Art is not like athletics. Artists cant win gold or silver medals, but we can win creatively,” Kalunda says.
He says the title Team Namibia honours the young athletes who put the countrys name on the global stage with their recent star performances.
Kalunda was supported by the City of Windhoek, Broll Namibia, and Neo Paints.
“Having the painting in Windhoeks CBD is so that people who yearn to meet the athletes, but cannot, can do so now,” he says.
“The other reason for the mural is just to promote and inspire both artists and athletes to keep honing their talents. As an artist, I do not have much opportunity to express myself and share with the Namibian nation locally and abroad what I have in my mind to take to the centre stage.”
Kalunda says he specialises in Namibian contemporary visual art.
He studied art at the College of the Arts and the University of Namibia.
“My art is the best and most affordable tool for me to communicate with the entire world while taking an active role in positively projecting Namibia,” he says.
Kalunda says he has been sharing his messages through art since 2011.
“I also specialise in creating mixed-media paintings. My passion is depicting Namibian urban and rural settlement images in its current condition. More so, to depict physical and emotional situations of the people in my community through the use of found and natural objects in two- or three-dimensional format.”
Kalunda launched his solo exhibition, Urban Identity, in 2016.
He says art is about more than earning an income.
“Art expresses who we are; my art expresses who I am.”
His exhibition was significant because it portrays the emotional landscape of people in Namibia and their relationship with urban life, he says.
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