By Sainabou Sambou
Aji Ndumbeh Jobe, an award-winning creative artist, has recently exhibited 90 masterpieces in a photo and painting exhibition held at the Bakadajie Hotel in Kololi.
The ‘Striving dreamers photo and painting exhibition’ under the theme: ‘Igniting inspiration from fine art to create a world that provokes real stories and scenes to break the stereotypes of art to create development in The Gambia and beyond,’ portrayed stories and acknowledgment of determined individuals in the country using storyline and breath-taking photos and painting masterpiece showing stories, provoking thoughts and restoring hope.
Ms. Jobe explained that the exhibition manifests the work and struggle of young people such as kids in the streets, young farmers, social media users, and writers.
She lamented that her journey was rough and tough, adding that funding was a big challenge for her and that the exhibition was self-funded.
‘‘Sometimes, when I send a request to feature certain individuals, it is either flat rejection or failure to show up for the shooting without any apology,’’ she lamented.
In her statement, Rohey Malick Lowe, the Mayor of Banjul, said photography has helped history to be documented with visual evidence that provides more objectivity than illustration ever did.
She noted that taking still photos has provided an opportunity to capture reality, adding that people take photos to immortalise events. Photography, she went on, is a form of fine art that is useful in documenting people, places, and events.
Fatou Camara Jnr, an author, said the exhibition carries a plethora of stories that resonate with the very essence of humanity, stories that talk about the turmoil, pain, and agony experienced by young people and children in the streets, particularly in the boarding schools.
She posited that the exhibition looks into the lives of individuals, capturing the raw emotions, the struggles, and the resilience that define their existence.
