ARTIST: BENHILDA RUSAWO
COUNTRY: ZIMBABWE
MATERIALS USED: WATERCOLOURS
As an artist, being as free as our imagination is something we love. But something is keeping us away…
Everywhere we turn, we are faced by a wall as we have been enclosed in our own homes trying to run away from the one enemy we cannot even see. When we turn our phones on we are hit by news headlines that continuously talk about the one thing that is restricting us. Some artists would love to better their skills but cannot seem to do so because something is manning our doors ready to make us sick.
This thing has forced us to run, drop our paintbrushes and tramp on our easels as we scurry to find protection from it; furthermore, we can’t even breath in the air to inspire our work as well just in case we suck in this enemy.
In truth, art has been replaced.
Covid-19 has managed to replace too many things about us artists. Our hands that once carried art bags to school have been made to wear gloves and carry masks. Our hands that embraced paints and brushes have been forced to hold sanitizers as if they were our children. Our faces that once looked to the sky and had every feature caress the air have been forced to adorn masks for the sake of everyone. It’s like a dark cloud is hanging over us and is trying to creep its way into our artistic hearts.
As artists, we are not as free as we once were…we have been replaced. Everything that speaks art on us has been replaced in just too many ways.
