art-ist
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Malua hears colour in ‘Den of Synesthetes’
or his first trick, Nambowa Malua conjures an exhibition right before the crowd at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre’s eyes. Weaving from one blank canvas to the next as musicians Tapz and Chirau provide the soundtrack for his live painting, Malua presents and creates ‘Den of Synesthetes’ elevated by the sound of drumbeats and the thrum of a guitar. While some people dance and others sway, the music which rings through the Franco’s large gallery is no casual background affair. It is, in fact, part of the process and hints at the artist’s second trick.
Malua is painting the music. “The name of my exhibition is ‘Den of Synesthetes’. Den as in cave, a space to experience this condition, this neurological state,” says Malua who, under certain circumstances, can effectively hear colour.
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