Blossom by Lombe Nsama

Blossom by Lombe Nsama, 2021, Acrylics on Canvas, 35x60cm

About the work: Raising a girl child in Zambia is still a challenge, one of the biggest challenges faced is child marriage. Some families find child marriage beneficial because they receive a bride price (lobola) for example a cow or goat and they like that. They also enjoy the extra food that a married daughter is able to give them; there has been a lot of sensitization and most families now appreciate the dangers of child marriage, including maternal death and greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections like HIV. They also appreciate that their children can take better care of them if they get an education. Children have the right to grow up in a safe and supportive environment free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. The artwork tries to bring out the positive and innocence of the girl child, they also need to walk the dog in the garden and smile the beautiful flowers without any danger. They need to blossom into beautiful flowers of the world.

Lombe Nsama holds a diploma in art teaching from Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce and BA FA from the Zambian Open University and is currently a teacher of art and design at Twin Palm Secondary School. He is the recipient of the Henry Tayali Award for best artist in Zambia in the National Arts Council of Zambia Ngoma Awards (2012). He has been a working artist and teacher for the past 15 years and is known for his vibrant, colorful artwork created by thick dubs of acrylic paint done with a pallet knife, of late he has started incorporating objects which complement and reinforce the images depicted. Lombe Nsama’s lifelong goal is to contribute to a better understanding of cultural diversity by addressing the culture, history and experiences of women and children through his art. His work has been collected by so many patrons from around the world. He has exhibited extensively in Zambia, and other parts of the world