… Been operational for over a decade
… Art Gallery has hosted over 54 exhibitions
BY OWETHU DLAMINI
EZULWINI- Let’s get creative!
Yebo Art Gallery, found in the heart of one of the tourist hotspots in the Kingdom of Eswatini, Ezulwini, is a space that allows creatives to not only showcase their work, but learn about art and gain experience that allows them to express themselves through their talents.
Yebo Art Gallery, popularly known as Yebo, was established in 2010 and has hosted 54 exhibitions to date in person and online, giving visitors and artists an authentic experience of the creative landscape of Eswatini.
During a tour of the art gallery last Friday, Aleta Armstrong, the co-founder of Yebo Art Gallery, revealed that among some of the services offered by the entity was the curation, as well as the representation and marketing of the work done by different artists.
Armstrong put a lot of emphasis on enabling artists to grow in the country, saying there was so much that could be expressed through art and their gallery allowed emerging and professional artists the opportunity to do just that.
The gallery holds a number of art pieces and crafts from different artists, in their gallery space, as well as the online gallery that allows anyone to view this artistic work from wherever they are and helps to develop and grow the online documentation of Eswatini art.
Yebo Art Gallery also has a shop with a wide range of hand-made products designed and produced at Yebo Art Gallery that cater to both local and tourist markets.
In addition, the shop also stocks products designed by two women-led artisan groups, Siyaphambili and Indzaba Yami, that Yebo is currently training in partnership with the International Trade Center’s Alliances for Action program funded by the European Union. These two groups have hence far completed product development, textile design and basic screen printing workshops at Yebo Art Gallery.
When asked if the art industry is growing in Eswatini, Armstrong revealed that emaSwati were becoming more interested in art, especially the younger generation who would benefit greatly from creative spaces that allowed them as artists and creatives to freely express themselves. She said this incentivised them to stay and create in the country and not have to look to South Africa for opportunities to establish themselves as artists.
There was also mention of how an intern at Yebo Art Gallery, Bulelwa Kunene, has received a museum fellowship opportunity with Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa and the University of the Western Cape for a year where she would be conducting research on handicraft in Eswatini and gaining valuable skills in museum, heritage and curatorial studies.
“We have a lot of young people coming in. Our previous show, which was on feminism and climate change, allowed them to voice their opinions and young people are very vocal as compared to the older market who are a bit more conserved.
“To me it’s not all about selling, but having a gallery where people can see the art that artists show, and even if lots of people came to show, but don’t necessarily buy anything, I wouldn’t say that was an unsuccessful show,” said Armstrong.
Yebo Art Gallery’s vision for the future is to continue to grow the creative economy in Eswatini while using the arts as a vehicle for positive social change.
Also, to address some of the pressing social and environmental issues of our time while also fostering public engagement and supporting and promoting creative freedom of expression.
