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Sep 04, 2013

Malawian Artist Donates Paintings to St. Christopher's

Massa Lemu, internationally-recognized Malawian artist, has donated two paintings to St. Christopher's, League City. Lemu has made the gifts with the proviso that they be sold to benefit the parish's planned 2014 mission to Southern Malawi. In a correspondence to the church, Lemu writes, "I am thinking that the church could keep [these paintings] perhaps until . . . a collector would buy them. If ever sold, the money would go to assist the children in Malawi."

 

A number of factors shaped the abstract compositions donated by Lemu. He states that these influences include his early exposure to traditional African designs; traditional African sculpture; other modern and contemporary African artists; and, his exposure to Western painting movements such as surrealism, cubism, and abstract art.

 

The first painting, entitled Rapture, belongs to a series of work begun in 2003, which Lemu calls, "Primal Forces." Inspired by the prevalent circular patterns in nature and in primitive design, this body of work uses the dot and circle as metaphors for the life-giving and unifying forces of the universe. "This particular painting," Lemu states, "refers to a state of great emotion and also the biblical moment of being uplifted to the heavens. In the painting, the human figure has been totally abstracted . . . Curves suggest limbs, a sphere suggests the head, with a dot standing in for an eye. Color captures the glory."

 

rapture lemu
Rapture

 

 

The second painting, entitled Dewdrop/Diamond, is a diamond-shaped dewdrop that can be viewed as simply as a diamond. This painting does not belong to the "Primal Forces" series, but it is also inspired by nature. It combines different elements to suggest new ways of seeing. Lemu adds, "Perhaps, it is in a way related to the 'Bayou Tilapia' series, which mixes two different elements to bring about a hybrid."        

 

Dewdrop, 2013, Acrylics Resized
Dewdrop/Diamond

 

 

The "Bayou Tilapia" series brought Massa Lemu local, national, and international attention, with one of the paintings from this series approved for eventual exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston where Lemu was a Critical Studies Fellow, 2010-2012. 

 

Lemu received his Bachelor of Education from the University of Malawi (2003) and Master of Arts in Painting at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia (2009). He taught Painting Studio and Art History at Chancellor College of the University of Malawi, and Drawing at Rice University in Houston.  His work has received appreciative review in a number of publications in several countries.

 

Inquiries from collectors will be received at the church office, 281.332.5553, or by email: