The Sunday News
Thobekisiwe Gumede Sunday Leisure Reporter
TRADITION has it that in the past a woman’s place was in the home. She was under the tutelage, first of her father and then of her husband. Her main duties were to be a wife and a mother where she was supposed to man the home. Women were therefore trained to become good and submissive wives as the primary goal was for them to get married. Education was secondary and getting employed was not an option for women.
If a woman escaped the homely duties to become an artiste or do some other things that were not in the parameters of manning a home it was an exception to the rule.
Today there are many women artistes although there are a few great female creative artistes that have been identified worldwide.
Twenty-three-year-old Jullian Gonese is one of the females who continues to be identified with the art industry as she believes that art is communicating the inner soul, telling your own stories to the world through art something she said she had come to appreciate not just as a pastime but a livelihood.
Born and bred in Bulawayo, the gifted artiste is a fourth year student studying Creative Art and Design at Chinhoyi University. She recently held an art exhibition at the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo under the theme Wide As Art, meaning art comes in different forms or ways.
Jullian said she realised she was good in art in her fourth year at high school although she never had a passion for it.
“I never had an obsession for art I only realised I was good in it when I was doing my Ordinary Level at Eveline High School because I was always on top in class. Even when I did my Advanced Level I did not do any kind of art, it was only when I got to university that I decided to venture into that field because I had a feeling that I would do much better,” she said.
Gonese said being a artist was a struggle for her as her parents never approved of her doing the dirty work.
“Getting into art was really hard for me because to them art was just a hobby, something that is associated with scruffy people. I still remember my parents’ words when I broke the news to them ‘Ufuna ukuyadweba’ (you want to go and draw) is what they said.
“It was really hard for them to accept that I wanted to study art but as time went on they started believing in me after having seen my works,” she said.
She mentioned that even though she was slowly getting into the art world it was not easy for most women as they have a challenge in penetrating the industry.
“There are few women even though I believe that we are equally as good as men. Well I believe that in order for women to make it there they should be tough and strong in the art world because it’s a tough world for them. But I do want to go to that world, because it’s beautiful in its way and challenging, it’s like climbing a mountain,” she said.
Gonese said she was hoping to inspire the young in future and hopes to open a studio where using her artistic skills she could teach up and coming artists.
“I am hoping to inspire the young especially females so that we show the world that we are also capable of excelling in the creative arts sector. I also want to open my own studio in future where I will mentor up and coming artists,” she said.
She added that female students should not be discouraged by their parents’ choices but should strive to do what they know best. She also encouraged parents not to stand in the way of their children’s professional choices but rather advise and support them.
