MBABANE – Yini Loku will proudly host veteran fine artist Helen Moir for her final bow and love letter to Eswatini, an exhibition entitled ‘Echoes of Eswatini: A Fifty Year Retrospective.’
This collection, spanning half a century of work, charts the scenic and emotional evolution of Eswatini’s landscapes, tracking its unbeaten paths alongside those now lost to time. From the beginning, Moir was enchanted by the beauty of the countryside. That initial spark inspired much of her early artwork.
However, her focus has matured over the decades. She is deeply concerned about environmental issues and climate change, frequently using her canvas to comment on these pressing global challenges.
Ultimately, her collection tells a story of profound physical and intangible change. It also highlights intimate glimpses of Moir’s personal life and relationships during her 50 years in the country. Her recent work shows she is continuosly growing creatively, as she actively explores the possibilities of colour, line and abstract form.
This retrospective marks Moir’s farewell to Eswatini before she relocates to a senior living facility in the Western Cape.
Members of the public are invited to witness this final exhibition, purchase a literal piece of local history and bid a fond farewell to a beloved artistic icon.
Helen Moir’s Bio
Helen Moir (b. 1938, Manchester, England) is an artist and author who has lived and worked in Eswatini since 1971. She studied at the Manchester Regional College of Art and at the University of South Africa (UNISA), and is well-known for her oil paintings, collages and concern for the environment. Inspired by Eswatini’s landscapes, and nature in general, in recent years her work has focused on climate change and humanity’s environmental impact.
Helen has exhibited extensively in Eswatini, and also in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and England. On arrival in Eswatini, she was disappointed to find no opportunities for exhibiting artwork. There were also no adult art classes and the only children’s classes were in private schools.
Advertising in the Swaziland Times (Times of Eswatini) to promote interest in art led to her meeting other artists and together they founded the Swaziland Art Society. It attracted many amateur artists and resulted in regular exhibitions as well as art classes for adults and free art classes for young emaSwati. The society also organised lectures and classes by well-known South African artists and UNISA lecturers.
Helen Moir. (Courtesy pics)