Legends of children stolen by the rain, the allure of indigenous trees, as well as the moonlit marvel of wading women colour this year’s University of Namibia Graduate Exhibition.
Welcoming the university’s budding visual artists to the professional art world in a display spanning multiple rooms of the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) in Windhoek, the exhibition offers the extraordinary opportunity to discover the stars of tomorrow at their start.
Harnessing Carl Jung’s analysis method to transport patrons into the monochrome contours of dreams is artist Epifania Aindji, whose architectural ‘Emotionscape’ dominates the NAGN’s main gallery.
Subtly revealing figures, hands and hidden emotions in mesmerising, undulating lines, the young artist’s offerings invite viewers to reflect on their own inner worlds and “the possibilities that exist within dreams”.
“My goal is to create art that resonates beyond visibility, speaking directly to the subconscious and sparking meaningful personal reflection,” says Aindji in an accompanying artist statement.
“This is also to create a space where the boundaries between the known and unknown blur, encouraging a journey inward to uncover the universal elements that connect us all.”

An apparent point of connection in the exhibition is womanhood as a complex state of being, as a magnet for shame, a repository of knowledge, and as a path to kinship and community.
In reference to mixed media artworks recalling rural scenes of pounding mahangu and the humble trappings of home, artist Tweyapewa Mbendeka credits her grandmother’s stories as sparks of inspiration.
A matriarchal figure is similarly celebrated in work by Elizabeth Kaula, who, alongside an eerie painted image depicting her childhood fear of the rain, honours her godmother, “a steady presence who represents guidance and protection”.
Less idyllic in one particular depiction of womanhood is artist Jordan Sylvester whose ‘Light of Shame’ arrests at the top of the NAGN’s upper gallery stairs.
Presenting a harrowing scene of a young school girl bleeding from her vagina as she grips a clothing hanger dripping blood at the centre of a circle of pointing pigs, Sylvester shines nightmarish light on issues of access to abortion, sexual and gender-based violence, statutory rape, victim blaming, the pointing patriarchy and the unforgiving church.
“Misogyny is a recurrent theme in this collection, depicted as both a personal and collective antagonist. The work explores how it permeates relationships, policies and cultural narratives that aim to control and silence,” says Sylvester in a statement.
“The body becomes a site of resistance, a canvas of self-expression, and a testament to our struggles and resilience. Ultimately, this collection is a tribute to the strength of Namibian women – and women elsewhere – who continue to fight for the freedom to define their paths.”
Contrasting this unsettling image with the powerful and transcendent ‘Women and Water’, ‘Life Bearers’ and ‘A World Where Men Are Kept’, Sylvester artfully acknowledges female power, community and legendary connection to the moon in a series of paintings that explore the fantastic, the surreal and grim reality.
This year’s stand-out in terms of articulate visual language, thematic cohesion and style, Sylvester’s presentation teases a vivid, metaphoric and promising career in the visual arts.

“Through these works, I hope to foster dialogue, inspire empathy, and ignite a renewed commitment to dismantling oppressive structures,” Sylvester says.
“This is not just art; it is a visual manifesto, a reclamation of space, and a call to honour our identities and rights as women.”
Also imbuing their art with a level of advocacy is artist Johannes Willem van der Colf, who places the spotlight on mental health in a series of black-and-white charcoal drawings that draw from his lived experience in intriguing, cartoonish imagery depicting a number of psychiatric conditions.
“A dark subject requires a dark aesthetic. With this body of work, I attempt to illuminate a sensitive topic that is not discussed enough – mental health,” Van der Colf says in a statement.
“I am motivated by two reasons. Firstly, because I believe it is something that needs to be talked about. Even though it is emotionally triggering, it is a real issue that affects a lot of people. Secondly, this is personal,” he says.
“I am an artist experiencing mental health issues. I also have many friends with similar experiences. My vision is to have a visual glossary of psychiatric conditions.
“Through my works, I want to express visually how people with certain psychiatric conditions feel and experience their everyday lives.”
Notable in the medium of textiles is artist Chevelle de Waal, whose neat, stylish and indigenous tree-inspired functional art hangs in the NAGN’s main gallery.
The Unam Graduate Exhibition also features artworks by Rachel Goases, whose undulating paintings portray alternating states of being, such as dormant eruption, enmity and poise, graphic designer Marcel Martin, presenting a multifaceted ‘trash to treasure’ campaign to support the sustainable art, and work of Penduka and Kevlyn Gowases exhibiting an intuitive ceramic exploration in the upper gallery.
Certainly introducing a few new stars, well curated and ambitious in its examinations, the Unam Graduate Exhibition will be showing at the NAGN until 1 February.
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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