Namibian alumna explores aspects of Chevening life in photography exhibition

To celebrate the opening of the 2016/2017 Chevening applications in Namibia, the British High Commission held a Chevening exhibition by alumna Marita van Rooyen, celebrating the healthy bilateral ties between Namibia and the UK.

Sponsored by the Chevening Secretariat through CAPF and Novel Motors Company, the exhibition was open between 28 July and 11 August in Windhoek.

The exhibition was titled “insula Albionum”. insula Albionum is the earliest known name for the largest European island Great Britain, derived from the Latin albus, meaning ‘white’, which likely referred to the sight of the white cliffs of Dover, the first view that greets the visitor from the European continent. As a photographic exhibition that explored aspects of life during a one-year Chevening scholarship, the exhibition showcased the work of photographer Marita van Rooyen. Van Rooyen depicts her own view of the island, highlighting the diversity of views that could possibly represent Great Britain.

Comprising two projects (one a document of the River Usk, the other a depiction of charity in the church) it further highlights the bilateral relations between the UK and Namibia.

The bodies of work showcased in the exhibition were:

1. Tea Time at the Usk: A week long study of the River Usk, taken daily at 10am and 4pm, the two different ‘tea times’ observed in the UK. The Usk is noteworthy as having the second highest tidal rise and fall of any river in the world, having played an important role in the history of South Wales, and being a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
2. Charity: Details from a selection of donation boxes found within churches in Chesterfield, UK, that donate funds to a Kindergarten and Old Age Home in Tsumeb, Namibia – highlighting the role of charity in the church.
    

HE Marianne Young, British High Commissioner to Namibia, opened the exhibition

Naomi Boys from the British High Commission and 2015 Chevening Scholar Kazembiire Zemburuka

Exhibition guest Morna Ikosa drove home in a new car!