January, 2019 | njovuyalema.org

Thomas Mpira – Paschal Candle (Celestial Village)

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish The Paschal candlestick has at its centre a depiction of the risen Christ, with stigmata. Through Christ’s suffering he incorporates the people gathered around him into the celestial village. At the foot of the candlestick parents are passing a new-born child over fire: this is the Chewa…

Leonard Chikasasa – Risen Christ

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish Christ is depicted on a background of geometrical patterns forming a cross not crucified but risen. He wears a large cloth-like priestly garment that suggests a traditional rain priest, i.e. a shrine officiant in the Mbewe caste. Christ is chief priest; and the detail of the priestly garment,…

Claude Boucher & Patricio Tambana Mponyani – Tabernacle Stand

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish The tabernacle base is made of wood recycled from the beams of the old church. The original was the idea of Joseph Kuppens and Georg Messer, and executed (like the tabernacle) by Arkadio Siwinda, but the decoration is Claude Boucher’s. The tsekere grass adorned the pre-existing altar.…

Arkadio Siwinda – Tabernacle (Nkhokwe / Kachisi)

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish Arkadio Siwinda (Chief Kamchwamba) made this tabernacle for the original church. His trade was that of carpenter, and it is possible to see in the careful finish of this work the inheritance of the carpentry workshop for which Mua was renowned over many decades. The tabernacle was…

Claude Boucher & Patricio Tambala Mponyani – Creatures of the Lake & under the Land

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish The East wall of the church is adorned with a broad wall painting in three distinct bands, which depict Creation as it inhabits air, land and lake (and under the land). Here we see numerous lake fish, together with a newt and a crab, the amphibious frog…

Claude Boucher & Patricio Tambala Mponyani – Creatures of the Land

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish The East wall of the church is adorned with a broad wall painting in three distinct bands, which depict Creation as it inhabits air, land and lake. Here we see, betwixt two flowers, a snail, a hare, a woman with mortar and a man with axe and…

Claude Boucher & Patricio Tambala Mponyani – Creatures of the Air

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish The East wall of the church is adorned with a broad wall painting in three distinct bands, which depict Creation as it inhabits air, land and lake. Here we see, fluttering into the heights of the church, a hoopoe, a blue pigeon, a whistling duck, butterflies, an…

Jibu Sani – Altar (Life & Death)

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish This remarkable altar must count among Jibu Sani’s masterpieces. God is depicted as lightning, containing within Himself the cycle of human life and death. The contrast between God’s power without (the body of the altar) and human weakness within is striking. We see Man’s descent from sky…

Claude Boucher & Patricio Tambala Mponyani – St. John the Baptist

Malawi – Zomba Diocese – Lisanjala Parish – Mambo Outstation In the late 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s Claude Boucher applied himself to the completion of wall paintings for humble outstations in remote parishes, where he gave Malawian identity to Gospel scenes more familiar under other dress. His collaborator in this work was Patricio…

Jibu Sani – Processional Cross

Malawi – Dedza District – Mua Parish Here we illustrate a simpler piece – by an artist whose acquaintance with Claude Boucher goes back to the earliest days of Kungoni Centre. Jibu Sani came from Zomba to become one of its first established artists and he taught his art to his large family, which…