James Samikwa – God Our Mother

Malawi – Dedza Diocese – Mua Parish – Parish Church   High over the nave of the church hangs James Samikwa’s depiction of God Our Mother. God – Chauta (one of several Chewa names for God) is depicted, as often in Kungoni art, concealed behind a mask, which suggests here a smiling mother who extends…

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Thomas Mpira – Head of Mbona

Malawi – Private Collection   Thomas Mpira works in many idioms: Chewa and Ngoni, Christian and African Traditional Religion (ATR). For this piece he was commissioned to represent (for the first time in art) the severed head of Mbona, the rain priest who is commemorated in Nsanje (in the far South of Malawi) as having…

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