ARTISTS
THOM SYMON
Headmaster of Colourful Dreams School/Lead WiTCHcatz Artist/Owner of African Art Gallery/Painter
Personal Statement by Thom:
My name is Thom S. Kulumeta a Malawian artist, the third born of seven. After my father died when I was teenaged, my mother had to take on odd jobs to feed my family, but she came down with a serious illness. I did whatever I could for to pay for food and my mother's hospital bills. I dropped out of school and worked in neighbor’s houses to get by.
My art profession started a very long time ago when I was young. Around year 2000, I started painting using real paints and canvas with some help from my father in law. He was a major influence; he played a very big part in encouraging when I first started. After painting for a few years, I realized that art is part of my life. My paintings reflect on what I see every day in Africa, such as village scenes, women carrying pots, the beautiful sunset of Lake Malawi, etc. I also do abstract painting, large murals, signs for businesses, and make bracelets. One day I hope to become a well known artist, especially so I can contribute to providing children education and travel the world.
Thom founded and currently runs The Colourful Dreams School, a nursery and primary school for local children ages 3-7. He is a prolific painter who administrates the African Art Gallery.
BOBOH
Chess Board Extraordinaire
Bio. Coming Soon
CHARLES
Wood Carver
Youth does not necessitate a lack of skill, an idea that Charles embodies daily. Hailing from Cape Maclear, the 29 year old carves out a day-to-day living creating richly detailed and ornately stylized work. Charles invented the popular WitchCatz keychain and continues to innovate with new designs, carving styles, and fully custom work. Let this exceptionally talented, driven artist create something amazing for you!
GODFREY
Drum Maker
When discussing artists and describing their work, it can be easy to unleash waves of superlatives. Our enthusiasm towards beauty and quality can override subtlety. When it comes to djembe craftsman Godfrey, superlatives are more than applicable, they are essential. Well regarded as one of, if not the finest, drum makers in all of Malawi, Godfrey resembles an enchanter as much as a carver. By no amount of patience or attention could an artist create djembes like Godfrey’s. His work comes from 27 years of focused experience infused with an ineffable, ingenious understanding of the relationship between sound, material, and form. Each drum enraptures the senses: immense and cavernous tone, spicy and exotic smelling wood, the kinetic beauty of deep vibration, the look and feel of impressive craftsmanship.
After receiving a drum from Godfrey, it was clear that we would not be getting drums from anyone else. Godfrey continues to be the sole creator of our drums and we gush with excitement at the prospect of unveiling his work to musicians worldwide.
HENRY MASULA
Painter
Henry Masula is one of our senior artists, his working blossoming from years of dedication to his craft. As a painter, he focuses more on naturalistic representation rather than abstracted scenes. Masula sets his eye to seek out beauty in life, focusing his delicate observations through a restrained, refined color palette. His portrait and landscape paintings showcase Masula’s innate attention to detail while reflecting upon the serene ebb and flow of village life. Masula does not let his search for beauty inhibit his creation of it. In addition to fine art, Masula dedicates his time to creating hand-painted signs and displays for local shops.
JADAKY STANFORD
Painter
Bio. Coming Soon
JOMWA
Painter
Jomwa Phiri was born in 1959 in Chintheche, Nkhata Bay in Malawi’s Northern region. He began his art career as a paddle carver for the local fisherman after leaving school in 1978. In 1982, he began painting on glass. During the early phases of his artistic pursuits, he drew inspiration from books on famed artists Pablo Picasso and Giorgione, as well as practioner Alwyn Crawshaw. His body of painting includes wildlife, abstract figures, and idyllic village scenes. Eventually his work in acrylics on canvas created a distinct style dependent on his use of palette knife and brush. Immersing himself in the African Natrualist Tradition, his imposing baobabs and portraits of working Malawian Women evocates the industriousness of the lakeshore people and their ancient presence there.
Jomwa has exhibited throughout Malawi, Johannesburg and Cape Town, and even further abroad as collectors have taken his work to Europe and North America. In 2011, Jomwa was the featured African artist in a festival in Nicaragua celebrating the UN designated “Year of African Descendants in Latin America”.
As a regionally renowned artist, Jomwa’s imagery, style, and techniques have been well appreciated by artists throughout Malawi. His influence is evident in works of other WitchCatz. Jomwa continues to paint and support his family despite suffering a stroke early in 2016.
LUCKY
Painter
A senior artist in our crew, Lucky’s body of work follows but one convention: diversity. His paintings span an array of styles, images, and color palettes but each one emits a unique brilliance. Whether Lucky chooses to work with smooth brushstrokes with neatly blended colors or takes a more loose, painterly approach, his artworks condense Malawian culture into abstracted geometries. Few artists possess the vision and talent necessary to make life conform to art. After making a modest living off his painting for over 20 years, Lucky visually distills out minutiae and vulgarity to display society and culture in all their splendor.
SOVIET
Painter
Judging by his painting, the colors of the world strikes Soviet’s eye with a particular intensity. The smokey oranges and soft blues of the setting sun transform into opulent, gem like displays of pure color. Light scattered across the water gives the appearance of splintered crystal shards focusing the sun’s intensity. Growing up in Nkhata Bay must have attuned Soviet’s eye to the complexities of the sun’s many phases as it crosses the sky each day and the infinitely playful patterning of light slithering across water.