AN OUTSIDER LOOKING IN TITY TSHILUMBA Peace in Namibia is what enabled Tity Tshilumba to become a prolific artist.
T
ity graduated with a distinction in painting from the Institut des Beaux Arts in Lubumbashi in the DRC in 1998. Due to political instability, he left his home country and arrived in Namibia in 2000.
“For example, one painting is about how people send their children to be raised by their grandmothers in the village. In this one, I am portraying the grandmother, who is interested in making sure her granddaughter is getting education to go forward. It makes me feel happy and sometimes it makes me feel unhappy because if that grandmother doesn’t have an understanding of education, that will determine the future of the child.”
After his flight from conflict and instability to the peace and welcome he found in Namibia, Tity’s art has flourished. “Coming to Namibia influenced me positively as an artist. If you are working in an environment that doesn’t support you, even if you are doing something that you love, it is difficult. In the country that I came from, there are so many talented artists but it is so difficult to work there as an artist. Artists need an environment where there is peace, then you can work quietly and do things the way you need to. That is why I had to leave the Congo DR and come to Namibia,” reflects Tity.
When asked how the family he left behind in the DRC feels about his success as an artist in Namibia, Tity smiles broadly: “My family are very proud. They follow what I am doing on Facebook. At the opening night of my exhibition, they sent so many messages, saying that I was representing the family, that I did well, that I must continue and that they are still praying for me.” An artist who has overcome great odds, Tity’s work now adorns the walls of various Namibian buildings, including that of the Auditor General, the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, and the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development.
“After living in Namibia for sixteen years, it feels like home. I am married to a Namibian woman and we have two children, plus the treatment I have received from fellow artists makes me feel like this is home. This has meant that I have not worried about what I left behind.”
Tity’s message to fellow artists, and especially up and coming artists, is that: “We are presenting something to society. This should be the most important thing, and not the idea of earning a living. If we put that first, we will abandon art. Be patient. In my case, I struggled but I was patient, which is how I got be to where I am today.”
Since 2007, when Tshilumba participated in his first group exhibition in Namibia, he has gone on to participate in twenty-one group and two solo exhibitions in the country. “When I arrived in Namibia, it was difficult to adjust and adapt. It was also difficult to come out and do what I love to do, which is art. I started to really express myself through art when I was introduced to the National Art Gallery for a group exhibition about Namibia’s independence.” In his most recent exhibition, Tity focused on the daily lives of Namibians, drawing from his experiences in both rural and urban areas. “What I portray is what is happening every moment of every day. I am inspired by stories and what I see. I love drawing people because in people there is a direct message.
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