Africa-Press – Namibia. ADAPT or die, so goes the popular adage. While it might just be a saying for many, for artists and craftsmen in the vast Omaheke region, it was a direct instruction.
As Covid-19 continues to shut down studios and rob, many off their livelihoods, artists in the ‘cattle country’ have had to find more than just their music, craft or the agricultural sector to earn a living.
For many of them, selling music and crafts had been their sole source of livelihood. It might not have generated much or turn them into millionaires, nor did it give them a cult-like following, but it surely paid the bills. That was at least before Covid-19 hit.
Of late, however, many are wondering how they will make it through the day on meagre resources. Others have thrown in the towel, while many others are seemingly on the verge of giving up. Most of the artists who are on the verge of giving up keep motivating themselves that “winners never quit and quitters never win”.
Immanuel Tjipanga, born and raised at Gobabis, is among many artists affected by Covid-19, as business has been on a constant decline. He is a visual artist and also does signwriting, landscape paintings, abstract paintings, photo portraits (paint and pencil medium), custom logos, and brand kits solutions.
The business has been keeping the food on the table, but not anymore. His personal mantra “winners never quit and quitters never win” has, however, kept him going, he said.
“Even though these are hard times for us artists, what keeps me motivated is my passion for arts and creative work. I have a beautiful baby boy and I work very hard just to provide a decent lifestyle for him and my wife. They keep me going and give me the urgency to follow my dreams by any means necessary,” he said.
Tjipanga points out that most visual artists in Namibia are underestimated despite the role they play in the arts and culture industries. Tjipanga said as a child he used to spend most of his time indoors watching TV and drawing comic book characters. The visual artist bug soon bit him and he grew up to make it a career and a way of living.
“When I was young, I used to draw characters such as Batman, Mickey Mouse, Super Strikers, and interesting pictures out of my history and social studies textbooks while in class.
“Gradually when I grew older, I became better at drawing until I mastered the art and I decided to use that love I have for arts into entrepreneurship,” he narrated.
Even though the virus has put a lot on hold, he managed to sell several art pieces at a few exhibitions in the country. The fact that a lot of people in the Omaheke region are not exposed to the different types of visual arts, makes the selling of the artwork even harder.
“We know that the pandemic is everywhere and we need to live with it. Other than that, I am not so much worried because my clients order photo portraits of themselves and their family members,” he said.
Tjipanga’s drawing is inspired by life in general and by other visual artists that have a major impact on him such as Owen Nangombe from Rundu, who is based in Windhoek.
CRAFTING REED BASKETS Another artist from the Omaheke region, Matheus Goreseb, has a unique craft – weaving reed baskets. He also makes mats, flower pots, and more from reeds.
“I decided to use reeds because it is the main material that is available and suitable for basketry and they are strong,” he explained. Goreseb said life without art is meaningless because it is like ‘a blank piece of paper’ and our world would be drastically different without it.
“The world is a better place today because of the power of art, which helps us to share the negative and, at the same time, the lightest emotions of the artist,” he said. It is his unique type of business that has kept him going in spite of Covid-19, albeit at a diminished rate of business.
“There is minimal competition in making reed baskets in my community, that is why I decided to make them. They can be used for decoration or storing craft supplies and other items in your home,” he reported.
“Although the pandemic has crushed us hard, we are thankful to the community for supporting our art work and we are determined not to give up. It also brings a smile to your face on a bad day,” he said.
One of Goreseb’s regular customers, Josephine Obeth, said the two baskets she bought are vused in the house where she stays with a lot of children who do not know their value.
“I don’t even know how many flower pots I bought so far for my house because the children keep breaking them and this is a waste of my money. So, when I saw Goreseb selling these baskets and the basket pots, I decided to buy four of them for my house. My flowers at home look good in them and I am happy that they will never break my pots as they are made of reeds” she said.
She said she is excited to have met someone who can design reed baskets because they are needed and only a few people do them in Omaheke. “Whenever I want reed baskets, I know where to go and whom to contact now,” she concluded. It may be all in a day’s work for Omaheke’s craft sellers, but it is worth the effort.
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