Kuru Art

Kuru ArtPhoto Gallery

 

The Kuru Art Project

The paint's still wet on this page, please come back again soon.

In 2004, the Kuru artists pose in front of the National Museam of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana, getting ready for the opening night celebrations for their Retrospective.

The Kuru artists at our house in Gaborone while they waited for their 2004 Retrospective at the National Museam to begin.

X'are and Gamnqoa working on hippo panels for a new hippo exhibit at a zoo in Australia

 

 

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana in 1996-97, I learned about the Kuru Art Project and visited their workshop in the Kalahari area of D'Kar.

I fell in love with the joyful, colorful paintings and prints that the artists were making. As part of the San Bushmen community, the artists have not had formal instruction, but are creating unique interpretations of their environment and culture. Their themes often include the wild animals and plants around them, or the relationship of humans to their landscape or a hunter/gatherer lifestyle.

The art work is an unusual combination of child-like spontaneity and creativity with sophistication in the designs and colors that individual artists choose.

As one who is learning the process of printmaking, I find the quality of the Kuru prints to be excellent. The artists have gained recognition around the world through word of mouth and various exhibits organized by the project.

To obtain such art, however, it is difficult to obtain prints directly from Botswana because of shipping costs, customs, and a delayed timeframe. Therefore, Women's Work has provided collectors with a real service by obtaining these prints directly from the project, as well as matting and framing them at an affordable price. In addition, I appreciate the commitment of Women's Work in assuring that the artists are paid a fair price for their work. By being able to own and enjoy this unique art, one can support a project that is helping artists in the developing world gain economic self-sufficiency and recognition for their creativity, plus preserving the San culture through sharing it with the world.

--Margaret Myers Ithaca, New York

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