The National Gallery School of Visual Art and Design recently staged the 2023 episode of Greenshoots Exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe which was punctuated by the works of 12 graduates.
3 of the graduates were women a low number as compared to their male counterparts. The few number of females at the graduation is a true representation of female artists in the country.
Greenshoots brings the work of graduate students to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s audience. The branding of the exhibition is premised on the resemblance of the young plants to the fresh graduates from the school.
Just like new plants, the new graduates need nurturing so as to bear bumper harvest. The citizens, business community and individuals were urged to come abroad to assist and promote the graduates in a speech by the guest of honor, Batsirai Matsika.
Matsika stated that the graduates went through a 2 year rigorous certification process in which they were imparted with the critical skills for the profession.
Matsika highlighted that the students were affected by Covid 19 restrictions such as lockdown but the students soldiered on till the end. He went on to say that the National Gallery of Zimbabwe was working flat foot with other foreign galleries to increase the visibility of Zimbabwean Art.
The themes from the works of the graduates included religion, poverty and social ills among several others.
With the economy of the country not stable, the newly acquired skills in art can go a long way in providing livelihoods to the greenshoots and development can be attained.