Five talented artists participating in the inaugural 2026 Artist Development Programme (ADP) Pilot are set to showcase their work in a joint exhibition titled Developed Vocabularies at the Namibia Arts Association (NAA) on 19 November at 18:30.
The upcoming exhibition explores how art communicates without words, featuring paintings, weaving, portraits, and mixed-media techniques. The showcase is the culmination of three intensive months of creative development, studio-based production, mentorship, and professional growth.
The featured artists are Ryan Dillon De Wee, Epifania Aindji, Jakobina Nashikwele Gideon, Juliana B. Fredericks, and Paulus Kanyanga. According to the NAA, the collection offers audiences a glimpse into how each creator has cultivated a distinct visual language through deliberate choices in materials, techniques, and artistic processes.
Organisers have invited members of the public attending the opening night to dress in Afro-Chic attire under the thematic banner of “Carry Your Story”—encouraging guests to combine elegant fashion with a single detail that reflects their personal heritage, culture, identity, or memory.
Explaining more about the programme, the NAA said it was established to address challenges artists face in accessing dedicated creative spaces, production resources, mentorship and opportunities for professional growth. They said through structured studio practice, workshops and engagement with Namibia’s artistic heritage, the programme provides artists with an environment in which to develop their work and strengthen their skills.
They emphasised that the programme provides mentorship by established creative practitioners like Kim Modise, Barbara Bohlke, Hage Mukwendje and Haymich Oliver. “Through individual and group sessions, the mentors have supported the artists in refining their ideas, exploring different techniques, receiving constructive feedback and developing their individual artistic approaches.”
They added that the programme also reflects their three strategic pillars: Platform, Safeguard and Professionalise.
“It provides artists with opportunities to create and present their work, encourages engagement with Namibia’s artistic heritage, and supports the development of skills needed to build sustainable professional careers.”
