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Raphael Jamu (centre) presents portraits to former Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Mr Xing Shungen (left), while other painters look on

Reckson Mandizvidza Entertainment Reporter
Renowned visual artist and founder of Hillock Arts Foundation, Raphael Jamu is set to grace an arts and culture exhibition to be held in Beijing beginning on May 10.
Jamu will travel to Beijing for the exhibition with three other artists; Fortunate Mayoyo, Lucky Nyamajiwa and Shanaaz Ravat who are all from the Hillock Arts Foundation stable.

The quartet was invited to Beijing for the two-week long exhibition by former Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Mr Xing Shungen.

“When Mr Shungen came to Chinhoyi in 2012 for the Chinhoyi Agricultural Show, I presented him with two portraits which I had painted, one was his own and the other was of the

former Chinese president Hu Juntao.

“He was very pleased with the portraits and he promised to invite me to China for an exhibition and he fulfilled that promise by inviting me for the 2014 International Cultural Exchange in Dongsan Jie, Beijing,” he said.

Jamu who is also the Mashonaland West provincial chairperson for Youth in Tourism said the Chinese exhibition will not only be important on the artist’s personal note but will also raise the country’s flag high as they will exhibit works that are purely Zimbabwean.

“It is a positive step on a personal note being part of the Dongsan Jie exhibition but I also see it from a bigger picture in the sense that the Zimbabwean flag is also going to fly high as we exhibit pieces that has a Zimbabwean flair and I believe the Zimbabwean arts sector in a way will benefit as well.

“We are going to carry with us the brand Zimbabwe so we hope to go and make a positive statement about the arts sector in Zimbabwe,” explained Jamu.

Last year Jamu added a feather to his crown by attaining the pole position in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation arts competition held in Pretoria.