This show was a unique debut of the dialogue between two different generations, exploring themes of the human condition and migration, and depicts subjects local to Arkansas, Nigeria, Botswana and Zambia. The through line between these two artists, both working through the medium of portraiture in this exhibit, is their intentional framing of “everyday people” as their subjects, pulling from family, friends and colleagues to reflect a world view shared across two different continents. With both of their practices rooted in the narratives of the people around them, these works explore the places and people we call home. Positing that rather than a singular place on a map, home can instead be found in both the familiar and unfamiliar, and can be found in the intangible, fleeting and sensory. Home can be found wherever the soul connects and to that end, the portraits in this show share some of the people that represent home for both artists. Image: Crawford Mandumbwa | Name Sake, 2021 | acrylic on burlap | 24″ x 30″
An artist, educator and facilitator with three decades of experience, Crawford Mandumbwa, born in Chavuma, Zambia, has participated in exhibitions in Brazil, Taiwan, India, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. A global African, he is currently based in Gaborone, Botswana and works primarily in the mediums of watercolor and acrylic. For his debut showing in the United States, he continues his career-long interest in the human condition, presenting portraits rendered on canvas and burlap with explosive color. Crawford attained an Associates Degree in Graphic Design and another in Art Education from Evelyn Hone College in Zambia, as well as a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Multimedia from the University of South Africa. His work has been featured in publications in Zambia and Botswana and was the subject of a 2015 documentary titled “Libertai,”screened in film festivals in Latin America.
