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Rockston group; LLutanda, David, Martin, Baba Jakeh, Kenneth, Zebbie |
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| Background |
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| Rockston
was founded in 1985 by Lutanda Mwamba, veteran printmaker, sculptor
and painter. Lutanda got his inspiration from prints made by an other
veteran artist, Patrick Mwemba, at the time he worked as a gallery
assistant at Mpapa gallery. Initially he started off as a printmaker
and went on in 1988 to train David Chirwa to make sculpture, while
still practicing his art of printmaking. After one year of intense training, the master and the student put up their solo exhibitions simultaneously at Mpapa gallery. Lutanda covering the walls with linocuts and woodcuts, while David decorated the floors with stone sculpture. This exhibition also marked the watershed that now separated the student from apprenticeship to professional practice as this marked the graduation point. The very same year 1989, Lutanda was the only artist to be awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Foundation Fellowship grant from all Commonwealth states in Africa. This grant enabled Lutanda to go and work as a printmaker at Reading University in Reading, Berkshire County in England, for a period of six months, which he extended by working in Jamaica, another commonwealth country, in the same capacity as a printmaker. After working in Jamaica for approximately two months, Lutanda went back to Reading University and did an advanced course in printmaking for one year, sponsored by the Lethwe Trust. He came back home in 1991, and joined David who was actively working as a professional artist and sculptor. Lutanda's departure to England marked the beginning of Rockston going international. The period between 1991 and 1994, David participated in a number of workshops locally and internationally. In the year 1994 Lutanda and David started training Martin and Jakeh the skills of stone carving, and these two students came to join in a group of other young artists who had previously worked under Rockston apprenticeship programme or had been directly inspired to start stone carving like Nezius Nyirenda, Gilbert Nyirenda, Aaron Banda, David Lewanika, Bob Siyanboa and the late Harrison Kasaia and Teddy Zebbie Muhango. By then Rockston had started growing into a formidable group, and that prompted it to secure studio space at Garden House Hotel with the courtesy of the visual arts council Patron Mr. Rossi. Currently Rockston is comprised of Lutanda Mwamba, David Chirwa, Martin Chanda, Baba Jakeh Chande, Helene Lund Chirwa, Ngamanya Banda, Stary Mwaba and Bar’uchi Mulenga. The group worked successfully at Garden House Hotel for four years. And thereafter decided to diversify by individual members working from respective studios around Lusaka. Rockston Studio spaces are now situated at Tasintha Malambo rd, Lusaka. The period 1994 to date has been very interesting in the existence of Rockston in the sense that it has seen students participate in quite a number of art activities, like exhibition, international workshops and residency programmes. Since its inception Rockston has been a self sustained informal school of art, apart from enjoying material support in form of working space from Garden House Hotel. What Rockston was in 1985 and today 2002, is a clear indication of what the group is capable of. In a country with no school of Fine Art, Rockston provides a platform where artists can collaborate, develop ideas and gain from shared insights and different approach to making art. Rockston’s contribution to the visual arts in Zambia is a small achievement to be proud of. |
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