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The Tale Of Two Rescues!
The
Lechwe Trust is a charitable trust for the visual arts in Zambia.
It was started in 1986, with the aim of helping Zambian artists in
the following ways-:
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Scholarships for individual artists.
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Funding for organisations promoting the arts.
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Funding for local and international workshops.
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Support for museums.
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The commission and purchasing of works of art for public display.
The
Lechwe Collection started small - good works by local artists were
bought which we hoped would be on public display. The Collection has
been built up very gradually over the last sixteen years, as most of
its annual income was allocated to overseas scholarships and grants
for Zambian artists.
They
have held two exhibitions: at the Mpapa Gallery in 1995 and at the
Lusaka Museum in 2001. Some of their art has been displayed together
with other collections, such as the Zintu Arts and Crafts
Foundation, and the National Collection.
Since 2001 their collection has grown enormously, thanks to some
generous donations as well as their own purchasing. The Lechwe
collection now has over 150 works, of which about a third have not
yet been exhibited. An exhibition is planned for January 2005.
In
about 1962, a young Henry Tayali, still at school in Bulawayo, began
to paint a monumental work entitled "Destiny". It is an attempt to
express the profound thoughts of a serious young man, about the
struggles of Mankind now and in the future. There are hundreds of
figures against a background of magnificent futuristic buildings. He
worked on it for a number of years, then, when in 1966 he decided to
return to Zambia where he was born, he sold the painting to a Mr Tim
Gibbs.
After
Zimbabwe’s
independence in 1980, Tim Gibbs gave Henry permission to borrow the
painting for exhibitions. It was exhibited around the world, in
London, Paris and Lusaka, and was returned to the Gibbs family, who
were by then living in Britain.
After Henry passed away in 1987, the painting was exhibited at the
Africa Centre in London in 1989. It was seen there for the first
time by members of the Lechwe Trust. We were convinced that it
should be returned to Zambia. After lengthy negotiations it was
purchased, and in 1991, returned safely home to Zambia, as a
centrepiece of the Lechwe Collection.
Rescue No, 2 is much more recent:
Lou
Sifuniso, an artist who has lived for many years in Mongu, turned up
in Lusaka this year and visited one of the committee members of the
Lechwe Trust, William Miko. He told a long story of how at one time
in about 1972/3 he shared a studio with Aquila Simpasa. When Aquila
moved on, he gave his friend Lou some of his paintings and drawings.
William suggested he show them to the Trust and when he returned he
was carrying a roll of tatty, old, crumpled, torn and dirty sheets
of brown wrapping paper. On the inside of this bundle, Simpasa had
drawn some brilliant drawings, which he had done at the height of
his creative period, never seen in public before.
The
committee purchased two of these drawings, which were literally in
tatters. Enter the real 'lifesaver" Guida Bellcross - of Gallery
Gear. She took these torn papers, and has stretched, ironed, mended,
stuck together, mounted and framed these wonderful works - which now
look as good as new! The Lechwe Trust, having rescued these three
extraordinary works, can proudly say, that the Lechwe Collection is
the most exciting and comprehensive collection of art in Zambia.
The Lechwe Trust is exhibiting the collection at the Lusaka Museum
from 28th January to the end of March! Take this
opportunity to see a truly extraordinary collection of great Zambian
art!
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January 2005