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Chanco students turn Cashgate into art tale

Director of National Archives of Malawi Paul Lihoma says art is an instrument that expresses people’s feelings, perceptions, wrath and opinions and needs to be treasured and preserved.

Lihoma said this during an exhibition of imaginary creatures that Chancellor College Bachelor of Arts students displayed at the college’s Fine and Preforming Arts (FPA) studios under the theme ‘Cashgate Monsters.’

One of the artifacts: Catus Paulos Gojompio by Yamikani Bema
One of the artifacts: Catus Paulos Gojompio by Yamikani Bema

With assistance from their lecturers, the arts students created Cashgate monsters to express their outlook on the fiscal scandal that rocked the country last year.

Each sculpture is modelled around wild animals that the students combined to create a monster whose characteristics are harsh, arrogant, corrupt and evil to reflect the uncaring spirits that the Cashgate perpetrators demonstrated when they siphoned money from the public purse.

“Cashgate is a tragedy whose effects can easily be forgotten if there were no visible things that artists created to remind people of this. These scary Cashgate monsters that the students have made will record history because when future generations look at them, they will be able to know what happened in this country,” she said.

“However, it is my desire for the public to come and sample this art and capture the work that these young minds have contributed to the history of this country,” he said.

Eva Chikabadwa, fine art lecturer at the college, says ‘Cashgate Monsters’ was a result of research.

“Art is designing things to be attractive to the public with the aim of expressing yourself. As such, as artists, we decided to creatively preserve whatever happened during Cashgate through monstrous figures and emphasise that it had negative impact to the country.

Second year art student Yamikani Bema, who created a mysterious monster which he called ‘Catus Paulos Gojoumpio’, said the creature depicts public officials who abuse public offices and funds. The creature has the face of a pig and its hairs are snakes.

Other creatures that impressed patrons were ‘Pauline Kwiyo’ by Blandina Zam’mimba, ‘Ifinesi Nagama’ by Yamikani Bema, Monica Kabango and Thokozani Wamtsinje, ‘Vikotoria Zintole’ by Asher Nkhata, ‘Pita Mamondo’ by Innocent Fabiano, ‘Raphwell Kambalasa’ by Osman Keston Msiska and ‘Jurassic Baby’ by Peter Chatepa.

 

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