By Yunus S Saliu
As part of activities marking the celebration of The Gambia’s 60th Independence Anniversary, the Visual Arts Association of The Gambia (VAAG), in collaboration with the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), on Wednesday officially mounted a two-week Visual Fine Art Exhibition at the National Museum Garden, Banjul.
The exhibition, which featured over twenty different artists’ works, began on 19 February and will end on 5 March 2025.
Declaring open the exhibition, Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the NCAC disclosed that the exhibition is part of the artistic and cultural activities for the Gambia Diamond Jubilee celebration fully funded by The Gambia Government. “Currently, works of twenty-five Gambian artists are being showcased. This ranges from the older to the new generations while the works of art range from photography, painting, sculpture, installation, and textile art.”
The Director General noted that the exhibition wants to put visual artists at the center of the Gambian story, “because they have played, a very, important part in the artistic heritage of this country, starting from 1977 Festac.”
Furthermore, he disclosed that Gambian artists have represented The Gambia and also use art as a way of expressing themselves and expressing the needs and desires of the Gambian people, therefore, “the visual arts remain an important component of national development.”
In his assurance, the NCAC will continue working with Gambian visual artists to support them through their association work. More so, he commended them for excellent and beautiful pieces of work that are on display at the National Museum, while inviting the general public to attend the exhibition as long as it lasts.
Mamat Sallah, Assistant Director for Museum and Monuments at the National Centre for Arts and Culture said the launch of The Gambia 60th Independence Anniversary Fine Art Exhibition is a celebration of creativity, expression, and the boundless power of fine art that brought together a remarkable collection of twenty-five talented artists.
Each piece of the artwork, he said, reflects a unique perspective, a story waiting to be told, and emotions captured in colours, textures, and forms.
“Art has always been a bridge between the seeing and the unseeing, the spoken and the unspoken” he stated while adding that the collection is a testament to the transformative power of artistic expression.
Modou Lamin Jatta, President of VAAG expressed appreciation to the NCAC on this exhibition and also commended all artists currently exhibiting their works at the National Museum for presenting quality artworks for people to see.
In an extension, he thanked The Gambia government for sponsoring the Gambia 60th Independence Anniversary Fine Art Exhibition.
Kebba Sallah, Secretary General of the Visual Art Association of The Gambia gave an opening remark for the unveiling of the Diamond Jubilee Fine Arts Exhibition.