WHO IS TULI MEKONDJO?
Tuli Mekondjo is a self-taught Namibian mixed media artist. That means she uses different materials and media.
She creates her works using embroidery, collage, paint, resin and mahangu grain – a Namibian food staple.
LIFE
Tuli Mekondjo Mbumba was born in a refugee camp in Angola in 1982.
When Namibians finally won their long struggle for independence from South Africa in March 1990, she moved to Namibia.
Her mother dies when she was only 12 years old. The loss deepened Tuli Mekondjo’s determination to create art works that show how deeply rooted she is as a child of her mother and motherland.
In an interview she said that she became fascinated with art, as represented through textures and visual phenomena, when she glanced upon the wrinkled, weathered hands of her grandmother in a remote Namibian village.
COLOURING TULI MEKONDJO
ART
In her artworks Tuli Mekondjo reflects on the themes of identity, memory, legacy, and connection to ancestors. The preservation of memory is her primary goal.
Her performance art often echoes the rituals of her ancestors. You can see one of her performances in the Namibian capital Windhoek in the video below.
Tuli Mekondjo’s art is also rooted in her connection to her identity as a citizen of the Oukwanyama kingdom, as well as her attachment to Namibian cultures and practices.
She works with many earthly materials, such as clay, resin, even mahangu (pearl millet) which is the staple grain of Namibia.
Scroll down to see some of Tuli Mekondjo’s works.
SOURCES
Text
https://www.artsy.net/artist/tuli-mekondjo
https://supamodu.com/2019/art/namibian-artist-tuli-mekondjo/
Images
https://www.namibian.com.na/162530/archive-read/Visual-Artist-Tuli-Mekondjo&amp39s-Blank-Canvas
https://supamodu.com/2019/art/namibian-artist-tuli-mekondjo/#iLightbox[gallery_image_1]/-1
OUR ADVISOR
I am Edna Awaras of Damara descent. I was born and raised in Namibia, finished my tertiary education through the Cambridge System. Went on a Working Holiday to England 2002-2004. I obtained a diploma in Holistic Massage Therapy from the City of Bristol College-Uk. For seven years I managed a successful film company in Namibia, that specialized in documentary film making. In August 2013 I moved to Austria and I have been living here since. In Namibia, most of my work is to facilitate on behalf of the film crews, as a facilitator, field producer, and production managemer.
I met my wonderful friend Banza through our children who are going to the same school.
When Banza introduced me to Global New Generation (GNG), I was very intrigued by the website and how multinational it is. I met Sonja, the founder of GNG, at Banza’s birthday and later started being involved in GNG’s activities.
FUNDING & SUPPORT
