The colours of a nation and other stories

The Alliance Française of Johannesburg is proud to invite you to the exhibition of Masako Osada "The colours of a nation and other stories".

Ethnicity, culture, the colours of skin….. They define us, unite us and divide us. Under their banner, nations have been built, wars have been fought, traditions have been observed. They inspire love, kinship, loyalty as well as contempt, hatred and a sense of superiority.

Now and again they become so important for us that we fail to see beyond our own limited beliefs and perceptions. In some cases “culture” is used as a convenient excuse to preserve traditions, such as female circumcision, polygamy and honour killing, that could be painful or even lethal for people on the receiving end.

We sometimes hate, and even kill, our neighbours who share the same ethnicity, culture or the colour of skin with us. Other times we are touched by the kindness of a total stranger in a foreign land. We know that warm smiles, happy laughs and tears of joy transcend ethnic and cultural differences and often help to overcome initial distrust and hostility.

Masako sees race, ethnicity and culture as integral parts of our existence and identity. They make our lives and our world more vibrant and more interesting but should not be used to harm us or turn us against each other. She believes in the universal language of smiles, love and compassion.

“The colours of a nation”, downstairs at the Gerard Sekoto Art Gallery, is a celebration of the positive power of cultures and colours. You will see paintings with elements from different cultures, paintings bursting with bright and funky colours and the paintings that make you pause and think. Enjoy and have fun with them.

Upstairs, also presented is “and other stories”, a collection of miscellaneous paintings, drawings and etchings.

Masako Osada is an artist, an author, a journalist and a martial artist. She has lived in Japan, the US and South Africa and travelled extensively, from the Bornean jungle to Antarctica, to the remotest island in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. Her rich and colourful experience culminates in her art, often capturing the ephemeral beauty of her subjects.

Venue
Gallery Gerard Sekoto
Alliance Française of Johannesburg
17 Lower Park Drive corner Kerry Road
Parkview - opposite Zoo Lake

The exhibition is from Saturday the 3rd to 15th October 2009.

Gallery hours
Monday - Thursday : 9 am - 8 pm
Friday : 9 am - 6 pm
Saturday : 9 am - 1 pm

For more information
Contact Pauline
culture.jhb@alliance.org.za
011 646 1169