Durban — World-renowned, award-winning cartoonist and animator Nanda Soobben began a series of art workshops on Saturday for gender-based violence (GBV) and rape survivors.
The “Painting The Silence” art workshops will take place every Saturday until August at the Bat Centre in Durban from 11am to 2pm.
The workshops are in honour of the late Anshu Padayachee, founder of Advice Desk for Abused Women.
“I had been doing a young artists programme last year with autistic children, and Anshu had seen one of my art classes and said I should hold classes for abused women to show abuse through the eyes of women artists, because abused women don’t speak.
“She said we need to tell their stories. But sadly not long after Anshu passed away.
“We want to show the plight of women through paintings, drawings, design, cartoons and animation. We will also show them how to use the latest software, InDesign and Photoshop, among other programs. During the workshops, I will be teaching critical thinking, besides showing them how to paint, draw, as well as design skills,” said Soobben.
He said the project, which is supported by the Advice Desk for Abused Women, the Active Citizens Movement and Lifeline, is free.
He said women artists would be using their perceptions to see how women are seen differently by men and the rest of the world when it comes to abuse.
“The workshops are starting with critical thinking. We get them to tell their stories and do sketches on which they will paint. If they can’t draw, they can still tell their story and someone else would carry out their drawings. We will also teach them in the process,” he said.
He said during the weekend of Women’s Day in August, they plan to hold an exhibition at the Blue Waters Hotel.
Earlier this year, Soobben released a calendar featuring pictures by women artists highlighting abuse in the country’s 30 years of democracy. The pictures depicted GBV and rape, but in a subtle way
Sunday Tribune