Students and teachers during the closing ceremony of  the Art Exhibition

Lecture by Leading Malawian Artists Closes "Two Icons" Exhibit in Lilongwe

On August 24 Public Affairs hosted two of Malawi’s finest visual artists, Professor Berlings Kaunda and Cuthy Mede, who discussed the work of Jacob Lawrence and Lois Jones with over 80 students and teachers from six secondary schools.  The purpose of the lecture was to build mutual understanding between cultures and to expose Malawian youth to American art and culture.  In his critique, Mr. Mede commented that “to see is not to look” as he walked the students and teachers around the auditorium discussing the formal construction and cultural meanings of the prints, focusing on the different use of color and composition by the two artists.  Prof. Kaunda highlighted the relationship between art and culture, discussing the "Great Migration," the influence of the artists' environment on their work, and issues of censorship of African American cultural expression and in Malawi's past.  Prof. Kaunda encouraged students to free their minds when admiring and creating art.

Traveling art exhibits of the quality of "Two Icons" are rare in Malawi.  The lecture, media coverage and the exhibit as a whole exposed hundreds of Malawians to two pivotal figures in American visual arts, and seminal themes in African American cultural history.  The teachers commented that the students came away with more interest and appreciation for the visual arts, and a better understanding of the arts in America.