Decorate your workplaces with our artworks—Vaam

Visual Arts Association of Malawi (Vaam) has called on the private sector and the government to utilise them by among others use them to decorate their places but also buy their art­works.

Vaam Secretary General Gilbert Mpakule said this after observing that some companies are taking time to decorate their workplaces with artworks which were done long time ago by foreign artists.

"Let them use local artworks, buy them and decorate their work­places or else they can tell us their concepts and then we will produce what they want. It's not healthy for companies in the country to be using foreign artworks as if there are no artists in the country," said Mpakule.

The Vaam Secretary General said it was high time banks, hotels and other companies used visual artists to decorate their workplac­es and that through their works people could be given a Malawian feel.

He said that they organised an exhibition last Sunday in col­laboration with National Theatre Association of Malawi (Ntam) and Journalists Union of Malawi (Juma) to raise funds to help in running their different projects as well as show to the people what they have.

"As Vaam our biggest chal­lenge has been funding and this is why we have not come out frequently to hold exhibitions. We would love to do that. We have many visual artists who are producing excellent work but in the absence of exhibitions they are not exposed. Again we have been reaching out to compa­nies for them to use us but we are neglected," said Mpakule.

He said that the exhibition last Sunday which was part of the One Love show which also featured music and poetry, was targeting chief executive officers to sample their artworks.

"It was important for us to be part of this show because we had a variety of activities which at­tracted different people including bosses of companies and so we wanted to reach out to them with our artworks. We are excited that we have exposed ourselves and we hope to get the platform in the workplaces," said Mpakule.

He also called on Malawians to take time to support visual artists by buying the different artworks they produce.

"Many Malawians think visual artists produce artworks for for­eigners, we produce these works for Malawians so we need their support if we are to grow and be motivated otherwise it pains to see many neglecting us," said

Mpakule.

He also said that the absence of the national gallery has led to them not holding more exhibitions.

"If we had a national gallery surely we could have been holding more exhibitions for people to sam­ple our works. For now many have to rely on La Galleria in Lilongwe and La Carvena in Blantyre," said Mpakule.

Vaam is one of the associations which rely heavily on the Cultural Support Scheme spearheaded by Copyright Society of Malawi (Coso­ma) and funded by Royal Norwegian Embassy to run its different projects.

However, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel with the ap­proval of the cultural policy by the cabinet recently, which will lead to the formation of the Arts and Nation­al Heritage Council which would help in giving subvention to arts associations.