Agnes Buya Yombwe (born 18 February 1966) is a

Zambian Demographic features of the population of Zambia include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and others aspects of the population. Zambia's youthful population cons ...

mixed media artist, arts educator, author and mentor. Her artistic practice explores indigenous knowledge systems and especially the Mbusa of Zambia’s Bemba people. She also examines other societies and their response to environmental and socio-political issues facing contemporary society. Through art, symbolism and text, she explores and challenges responses to traditional and changing cultural norms. Her intent is to provoke questions, and to encourage people to engage with stereotypes and norms. Her work focuses on highlighting

taboo A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

issues such as gender-based violence and myths around menstruation in the African context.

Early years and education

Yombwe was born in Mazabuka on 18 February 1966. She attended Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce in

Lusaka Lusaka ( ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was abo ...

where she specialised in sculpture and graduated in 1994 with an Art Teacher Diploma. She holds a certificate in Art and Design from Wimbledon School of Arts,

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Career

Yombwe began her career in art after she won a drawing competition in high school. She was more than inspired to win the first ever drawing competition. Together with her husband, Lawrence Yombwe, she founded and runs the Wayi Wayi Art Studio and Gallery in Livingstone, where they organise art clubs and workshops for adults and children. Prior to that she taught art at Libala and Matero Boys Secondary Schools in Zambia for 7 years and in

Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...

for 10 years. She has exhibited her works in Zambia, Botswana,

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

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, and

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. She has also undertaken studio residencies at the Edvard Munch in

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, Norway and at the McColl Centre for Visual Art in

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. In 2017, Yombwe was appointed as a board member to the National Arts Council of Zambia by the Minister of Arts and held that position until 2019.

Published works

She authored two catalogs: ''Kudumbisiana: 'she is not an artist (2015) ''Ni Mzilo - It is Taboo'' (2019)

Personal life

She is married to Lawrence Yombwe, who is also an artist. She is known with her works in Zambia and Africa Art industry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yombwe, Agnes Living people 1966 births People from Mazabuka District Zambian women artists 20th-century Zambian painters 21st-century Zambian painters 20th-century Zambian sculptors 21st-century Zambian sculptors 20th-century women artists 21st-century women artists Alumni of Wimbledon College of Arts Zambian art educators