Supporting artists is one of Flight Logistics-ShipArtTM‘s defining principles so we are delighted to be one of the Corporate sponsors of Makwande. The following information has been taken from a recent press release.
Makwande is a Nguni word meaning “let there be growth”.
Founded by Nomaza Nongqunga Coupez, the Makwande Art Residency is a non-profit contemporary visual art organisation that fosters creativity, research, and experimentation through its international residency program for emerging African Female artists.
Our aim is to nurture female artistic growth and cultural enlightenment. Empower and champion equality in the arts.
Located in the South of France, on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Makwande Art Residency offers time and space in a contemplative and supportive environment, giving residents the freedom to think, create, and connect.
We encourages crucial exploratory work, with a focus on the emerging contemporary art scene.
Makwande Art Residency supports emerging African female artists in realizing their projects and establishing their creative practice on an international scale. Additionally, Makwande Art Residency emphasizes the importance of self-care during the residency and advocates for artists to take time in learning how to balance work and restoration.
Nomaza Nongqunga Coupez and Lesego Seoketsa at the studio in Mandelieu La Napoule during the Makwande Art Residency
VISION
Our vision is to nurture emerging African female artistic growth and cultural enlightenment through mentorship and community. We believe that their voices, experiences, and creative offerings are unique and deserving of industry space. The residency aims to empower and champion equity in the arts. We create a unique opportunity for our artists to develop upward mobility and visibility in the international art sphere.
MENTORING
We recognise how negative racial, sociocultural, and gender experiences often subvert the work of African female artists. We aim to provide solutions to challenges such as international access and financial aid, facilitating relationships with sector experts. Forging years of industry experience, we guide our artists into novel and exciting markets, helping them identity and reach their target audience. We encourage unhindered exploration into the majestic south of France because robust questioning and investigation leads to better art.
COMMUNITY
The current culture of exclusivity creates the illusion that there are not enough seats at the table, making marginalised artists feel that they must compete to make headway, perpetuating negative narratives around female collaborations. We believe that community and collaboration can extend the table and potentiate growth. We hope to forge a healthy ecosystem of creatives, art professionals, and patrons dedicated to the realisation of an equitable art society. Collective intention leads to collective action
DIVERSITY
Though strides have been made towards creating parity in art spaces, African female artists are still largely underrepresented and undervalued in galleries, museums and auctions, making up less than a percentile of industry sales. This stunts our common cultural development. Through representation we can widen cultural enlightenment, communicating the inherent value to marginalised societies.
IN THE NEWS
MAIL AND GUARDIAN
Makwande was established as a nonprofit organisation in France focusing on the emerging contemporary art scene. It supports emerging African female artists in establishing their work on an international scale.
“I realised how limiting it was to run the residency under a private company. Raising funds was not easy and the residency only catered for artists by Undiscovered Canvas,” Nongqunga Coupez said.
Credits for the imagery used in this article go to artist Lesego Seoketsa, Makwande Art Residency – Photographer Matthieu Chatonnier and From the Bay.
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