Harare- National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) 2012`s Outstanding 2 Dimensional Work winner David Chinyama believes fine arts can be one of the most paying businesses in the African continent if artists learn and adopt it as a business.
The Zimbabwe abstract painter Chinyama identifies African fine arts academic and professional schools curriculums as the major problem as students are only taught about arts and virtually nothing about the business side to the opportunity endowed fine arts industry.
“Visual arts can be one of the most paying businesses in the continent if artists add the business know how to their talent and start implementing the knowledge to widen their horizons.
“The progress hindering thing is the academic and professional schools curriculums which only concentrate in teaching the arts side and doing nothing to educate the students on the equally important business side which ensures the upkeep of the artist,” he said.
Chinyama who has one of his works shown in the movie White Chicks explains the financial opportunities artists can take advantage of in the visual arts industry, talking about how the elite community mainly prefers investing in arts than other industries.
“Many filthy rich people prefer investing in arts than other industries because arts work never depreciate but gains value in tandem with the growing of the artist`s name in the arts circles.
“African artists should then be able to take advantage of such trends through learning and applying Arts Management and Marketing knowledge,” he said.
The two time NAMA awards winner also points out how difficult it was for him to make a name and how, through the grace of God and through his distinct talent, managed to pull through to marketing his stuff through his own studio.
“Coming from the college it was a mammoth task for me to make great strides as I had little business knowledge to complement my talent.
By the grace of God I received the outstanding student award from the Visual Arts School in 1998 and if your work is good promoters will come knocking at your door step and now I market my own things at my studio,” he said.
The Zimbabwean abstract painter however encourages African aspiring fine artists to have the love and passion for the arts first and stop worrying about making money as money come as a complement to an artist`s effort and excellence.
“It has to start with passion and the love for it first. Aspiring artists should not worry much about making huge money because money comes as a complement to their effort and excellence.
“Just like any other profession, visual arts requires patience, consistence, excellence and distinctiveness,” he said.
David Chinyama is a topnotch Zimbabwean painter, visual poet and social commentator in his own right who has a pack and a half of achievements.
He has exhibited his work at world class exhibition sites along side many great names like Robert Redford (a top film producer in America), Julian Starks (film producer), United Kingdom designer (Benjamin Shine), to mention but a few.
Some of David`s exhibitions include “Potency of time” , SEED Gallery, New York in 2007; “Painter’s diary” Gallery Afrique, New York in 2007; Painted vibes , Richard Rennie Gallery, Harare, in 2008 and represented Africa and Zimbabwe at the Arcolart 2010 in Monaco.
In 1998 he received an outstanding student award from the Visual Art School in Harare, in 2004 he received the outstanding visual artist of the year (painting) NAMA, and in 2012 he received NAMA `S Outstanding 2 Dimensional Work. –News Of The South
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