Namibian exhibition reimagines Africa’s historic giants through contemporary art

WINDHOEK, July 5 — Colorful chitenge fabric, carved and painted surfaces, and portraits of African historical figures filled the upper gallery of the National Art Gallery of Namibia on Saturday, where visitors gathered to reflect on the continent’s past through contemporary art.

Titled “Giants of Africa,” the exhibition ran from May 21 to July 4 and formed part of the gallery’s Emerging Artists Program.

Organized by the National Art Gallery, it featured works by two young female Namibian artists, Jodine Strauss and Esneya Zulu, both graduates of the College of the Arts class of 2024.

Framed as a “sacred grove,” the exhibition transformed the gallery into a meeting place between past and present.