THE LANDSCAPE OF HERITAGE G
ina Figueira has spent her whole life surrounded by art. The daughter of the late Tony Figueira, the famous Namibian photographer and journalist, Gina was a curator at the National Art Gallery of Namibia before founding StArt Art Gallery with her friend Helen Harris. Through the gallery’s website, international collectors have purchased impressive works such as the large-scale sculpture of Africa by Fillipus Sheehama. Gina has since completed her master’s at the University of Leeds in England as part of a Chevening Scholarship, and is in the process of restarting StArt Art Gallery’s physical activities in Namibia while it’s online presence continues to grow.
ON CHOOSING A CAREER IN THE ARTS When I left school I was told, like many people who go into the arts, that you can’t really make a living, that it’s just a hobby and you shouldn’t really put all of your eggs into that basket. Fortunately, I had a father who was making a living from his passion for the arts, so that was quite an inspiration. I was really interested in the sciences as well, so right up to applying for universities I was like, “Gosh, should I go the science route? Should I go the art route?” And then there was just a distinct moment when I knew that I had to go the art route. Thank goodness for my dad’s inspiration – saying you can do it, you can live from your passion. ON BEING THE DAUGHTER OF TONY FIGUEIRA Growing up with a photographer as a father, I have the most incredibly welldocumented childhood. There was always a camera around. He was always there, pushing me to challenge myself and to pursue the things that I wanted to pursue. It continues to be quite a wonderful experience. I was very, very lucky to have him as a father. When I started working at the National Art Gallery of Namibia, everyone saw me as Tony Figueira’s daughter. I was also a very young curator in a very large institution, which came with its own set of challenges, on top of being the daughter of this person that the [art] scene knew. I would sometimes find myself in a position where someone would be trying to talk to me as somebody’s daughter instead of in a professional relationship, in a little bit of a patronising way. It’s something I’ve come to terms with now. The time away from Windhoek was good. To not be known for my surname. And then when I got married, it also brought up that question, but I knew I wanted to keep my surname. I think I have come through the whole thing of not wanting to be known as Tony’s
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