Andy Anderson

Ruth HartleyMpapa Gallery, Visual Arts, Zambia10 Comments

My friend and a friend of Zambian art and artists Andy Anderson, a very kind and good friend died recently. I remember him with great affection and gratitude. He was not only a personal friend but a committed supporter of art in Zambia. As an architect, he had a love of design and the visual arts as anyone who visited […]

Simon Zukas

Ruth HartleyApartheid, Family, Freedom Fighters, History, Mpapa Gallery, Southern Africa, Zambia13 Comments

Simon Zukas, a kind and principled freedom fighter There are people in one’s life who are so important and yet so much woven into the fabric of that life that you take them for granted. This is true even of the people in our families, parents, siblings and also spouses. There comes a sudden moment when you realise that you […]

Helen Lieros and the Delta Gallery

Ruth HartleyArt Gallery, Art Process, Mpapa Gallery, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe2 Comments

Honouring Helen Lieros I heard yesterday the sad news that Helen Lieros had died after a short illness. Helen was an artist whose paintings and murals had a spiritual luminosity and beauty that made them unforgettable and inspiring. She was recently honoured by the government of Zimbabwe as one of the Living Legends of the Cultural and Creative Industries. In […]

From 1966 District Six in Cape Town to Zambia and back – the start of this writer’s journey

Ruth HartleyApartheid, Family, History, Mpapa Gallery, Politics, Racism, Religion, South Africa, Southern Africa, When I Was Bad, Zambia15 Comments

Beyond reconciliation – a virtual walk through different faiths At the start of this week, I was invited to participate in this online event by Nic Paton, grandson of Alan Paton, author of Cry The Beloved Country. Thank you, Nic! The event was organised by the District Six Reconciliation Day Interfaith Walk. It was a healing and uplifting hour and […]