4 minute read
For the love of art, in the heart of Windhoek
Famous for hosting an array of handmade crafts and curios, the Namibia Craft Centre has been the go-to space for many a tourist in need of ticking off their souvenir shopping list. Proudly showcasing local creativity since the early nineties, the centre is lovingly known as “The House of Namibian Crafts”, and provides a retail venue to around 40 enterprises that support artisans, communities and projects from all corners of the country. The Centre boasts, “…a treasure-trove of colour and craft, a collection of Namibian items epitomising the country – the character and essence of its intriguing cultures, its large blue skies and endless landscapes, its wildlife and wonder”.
And while “the words art and craft are often intertwined”, as per the Centre’s website, recently the focus on “art” has become more prominent with the addition of The Project Room’s retail space. An initiative that was created with the aim to provide an environment where local art and artists could gain exposure for their work, The Project Room was founded in 2016, by jeweller and artist, Frieda Lühl. In the years that followed Laschandre Coetzee joined Lühl to provide further benefit to the arts industry, bringing valuable experience in design thinking and curation. To date this twowomen team has worked with over 90 artists, curated about 60 exhibitions, and successfully completed 12 corporate projects. Through the regular exhibition programme, projects and growing network of collectors and corporate clients their hope is to foster a vibrant Namibian arts industry, to contribute substantially to the livelihoods of Namibian artists, to celebrate local talent and to amplify Namibian voices. Towards the end of 2023, The Project Room further expanded its support by opening shop in the Namibia Craft Centre. The duo explains, “For many years, we’ve had a space where we permanently present work of a big variety of artists attached to the gallery. Moving this space to the Craft Centre made sense in many ways. We could expand our visibility and open up more space in the gallery.” As the Centre is frequented by visitors in search of uniquely Namibian memorabilia, the shop presents local artists an ideal window to the world with the opportunity for their art to reach all corners of the globe.
The Project Room’s retail space represents a variety of artists, including established and upcoming, ranging from the likes of Jo Rogge, Kabelo Kim Modise, Shiya Karuseb, Urte Remmert, Anne Lacheiner–Kuhn, Mitchell Gatsi, Anja Benseler, Ndako Nghipandulwa, Marita van Rooyen, Ras Garth, Maria Mbereshu, Lisa Voigts, Michael Mansfield and Titus Shitaatala.
Other market stalls that bring an artistic flair to the Centre, whether through embroidered textiles, wool carpets, woven baskets, leather work, pottery or handcrafted jewellery – all with a strong focus on community artisans – include !Ikhoba, Omba Arts, Anin, Myeisha, Hunotjari, Tameka, Ekipa, Ôasa taradi and Gün Güs, amongst others.
As a bonus, the Namibia Craft Centre operates seven days a week, and apart from arts and crafts, also hosts a café that serves refreshing drinks, freshly baked cakes and delectable lunches, not to forget the selection of local wines and liqueurs. Easily accessible in Windhoek’s CBD, the Craft Centre is located in Tal Street, within the historical Old Breweries Complex, and really represents “Namibia under one roof”!
Marita van Rooyen
