BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MBABANE – A visual mental health journey!
Yini Loku and the Antidote Culture Foundation have made an open call for visual artists, painters, illustrators, animators, filmmakers, and sculptors for a mental health exhibition in collaboration with the Eswatini Psychology Association.
The theme for the exhibition is Hope Beyond Trauma. The announcement was made public yesterday (May 14, 2024) on the official Instagram pages of Yini Loku and the Antidote Culture Foundation and was confirmed by Siphilele Magagula, who is cofounder of the Antidote Culture Foundation and co-runs Yini Loku with Yebo Art Gallery.
According to Magagula, the art exhibition is meant to be an immersive experience that invites visitors to explore how mental health and trauma intersect, showing how people find strength and healing through the lens of hope.
Hence the open call to encourage artists to submit artwork that serves as a window into the human experience, potentially inspiring moments of optimism. Artists must submit a short biography along with up to two images of artworks that align with the theme.
The deadline for the application is May 31, 2024. For more information, artists can email LOKUYINI@GMAIL.COM.
Yini Loku is an independent gathering, co-working, and conferencing venue for artists and creatives in Mbabane. It is located at the Cinelux Building opposite the Magistrate Court corner of Gwamile and Mandela Street, Mbabane. It is a project space founded and curated by Yebo Art Gallery, Yebo Outreach, Antidote Music, and the Antidote Culture Foundation.
Yini Loku opened its doors last year in June and was officially launched in December.
