Africa-Press – Eswatini. Fine artist Xolelwa Malinga has been selected to represent the country as an art ambassador for 2024 in the United Emirates.
Malinga is an independent visual artist who is versatile and is into abstract art.
The artist recently collaborated with other visual artists where Yebo Art Gallery was hosting an exhibition to display artwork as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
The artwork she intends to exhibit in Dubai is called ‘SEBE’s Triumph’.
Malinga said photographer and colleague, Sinenkhosi Msomi, informed her about this opportunity.
“The organisation is called Art Connects Women led by the Zee Arts Gallery in Dubai, where they challenge the ensemble of women artists to produce art that addresses the call-to-action for driving gender balance and women empowerment.
I applied for their open call and got selected to be an art ambassador 2024 for their events and exhibition, representing Eswatini,” she said.
Malinga said as an art ambassador, she would play a role in promoting cultural exchange and fostering connections between artists and art enthusiasts. “ I want to connect with fellow artists, event attendees, and the local community to enhance cultural understanding and appreciation.
This will be a unique platform to showcase my work on an international stage in Dubai,” she said.
Malinga further said this opportunity would be her first international exposure as an independent visual artist.
“It means a lot to me in the sense that I would gain global recognition for my work, thus shining the spotlight on Eswatini and the creative potential it offers. I believe we are underrated in the art industry as a country, and spreading news of our potential would be the highlight of this opportunity,” she said.
Malinga pleaded with the public to assist her financially so she can partake in these international event.
“I need at least E35 500.
This includes the cost of travel (return flight ticket), accommodation, and my participation fee at the events,” she said.
The deadline for registration is February, 5 and those who are willing to assist her can contact her on 7672 5092 or via email: [email protected].
The Art Connects Women- International Exhibition’s inauguration in 2017 opened the curtains in Dubai to ZeeArt’s curatorial feat of bringing centre stage to an extensive international line-up of women artists and their artworks.
Led by artist-activist and founder of ZeeArts, Zaahirah Muthy makes no reservation in challenging the ensemble of women artists to produce art that addresses the call-to-action for driving gender balance and women empowerment.
Throughout history, the paucity of women-artist representations has been an impediment in the bid towards diversification within the art world.
As they attempted to realign the skewed perspectives of gendered narrations in the art world, ZeeArts has put together a compendium of women artists on a global scale.
ZeeArts is a global art incubator nestled in Dubai and a branch in Mauritius, with a mission to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the arts through a line-up of artistic initiatives and projects.
Since inception, their calendars are riddled with a myriad of artistic and cultural initiatives, including exhibitions, art fairs, artist-empowerment programmes, arts and cultural retreats and conferences, as well as socially engaged art initiatives that bring artists, curators, art dealers, writers, collectors, and the private sector to the forefront of the art market.
As part of their effort to maintain global relevance, they also organise international exhibitions, both in person as well as virtually, to maintain a high level of connection between artists from all corners of the globe.
It is the responsibility of their creative team to devise and design bespoke art initiatives for corporate events, brand launches, or team building activities that are tailored according to the brand values. They also provide comprehensive art consultancy and art advisory services to their clientele.
In a bid to promote inclusivity for the betterment of society and embracing the SDGs, ZeeArts strongly advocates for gender parity under the banner of Art Connects Women, which is currently in its sixth edition; with their core values of respect and integrity in check, they commit themselves to supporting female artists through advocacy and artist empowerment programmes.
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