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“A woman’s work is never acknowledged” featuring Helen Lieros “an unsung heroine”.
American feminist artist, author and educator, Judy Chicago born July, 1939, is famous for her quotation “I want to end the ongoing cycle of omission in which women were written out of the historical record” (1979, ref. “The Dinner Party”).
This old adage “A woman’s work is never . . . acknowledged” rings true when one examines the art and life of Gweru-born Helen Lieros (PhD), an early purveyor of post-colonial African art, and world-acclaimed visual artist and educationist.
The diversity of her skills encompasses graphics, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, engraving and all forms of lithography.
Her art works combine the many experiences through which she has lived, taught and experimented, and the mastery of techniques at her disposal enables her to work with great assurance and freedom.
She is one of the most prolific mentors of art for Zimbabwean artists – and each year since this writer’s first encounter with her in 1989 (22 years ago), she has nurtured, taught and promoted an average of 26 professional indigenous artists annually through her Gallery Delta “Young Artists Programme”.
She was influential in recommending this writer for a USA Travelling Scholarship in art history, criticism and architectural history, in 1992, in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Santa Fe, New Mexico, St Louis Missouri, Seattle, in the United States.
Other prominent Zimbabwean artists influenced, represented and mentored by Lieros include Berry Bickle, Tapfuma Gutsa, Dominic Benhura, Thakor Patel, the late Luis Meque, the late Hillary Kashiri, the late Fasoni Sibanda and Rashid Joggee.
Others included Neo Matome, Agnes Nyanhongo, Shepherd Mahufe, Jerry Dixon, Matheius Nyaungwa, Virginia Chiota, Portia Zvavahera, Admire Kamudzengerere, Richard Jack and Eino Ngaku.
Lieros holds a sustained and nationally proven devotion to the visual arts of Zimbabwean and has held the fort even when the economy took a downturn to the hyperinflation of 2006/08.
Here, she looked after and consoled many wanting artists, who had no financial means to buffer themselves from the ravages of hyperinflation and the commercial collapse of the art market in Zimbabwe.
Educational excellence
Dr Helen Lieros (PhD) studied art at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Geneva, Switzerland, for five years. Here, she attained a Diploma in Fine Arts Degree (Honours).
In 1962, she was awarded a scholarship to further her studies at the Instituto di Statato d’Arte in Florence, Italy, where she excelled in painting.
In 1985, she embarked on further studies in the arts and obtained the perfenctionment Artistique Ecole Superieure d’Art in Geneva, Switzerland, and at the Centre de Gravure Contemporaine, also in Geneva.
Her thesis was based on the Development of Printmaking and etching, obtaining a post-graduate degree with honours, Master of Fine Arts (MFA).
These achievements were capped with a Doctorate in Philosophy at L’Ecole Superieure D’Art Visual, Geneva, in 1987. For her learning never ends.
Selected exhibitions and commissions
Unlike many local artists, Lieros’ two-dimensional works are monumental and have an appeal in European, African and American museums.
Notably, her works have graced the Commonwealth Overseas League, in 1982, in London, UK; the “Havana Biennale” in 1986; the International All Africa Expose in Dakar, Senegal; Contemporary Zimbabwean Art, in New Delhi, India, 1988; Eight African Women Artists, London, 1993; Johannesburg Biennale, South Africa, 1995, and the prestigious Mayfair Gallery in London.
Apart from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Lieros’ work is at the State House, The Wilfredo Lam Museum, Cuba, Museum of African Art, Paris, France and the Cabinet de Estampes, Switzerland.
Genius
Over the decades, Dr Helen Lieros, Genius, has risen above local significance and insular gender and race barriers and entered the realm of global significance.
Known for her signature hypnotic figures that simultaneously glow and merge with the subdued tints of earth colours, Lieros’ art confirms a lifetime search, in her depth of meanings and multiple readings of the human figure in its environment.
She creates a resonance in the form and colours of the human figure in a suspended realm of the psychological and environmental landscape of Zimbabwe.
She often juxtaposes the country’s rural spaciousness with urban limitations of space, creating a dialogue about urban migration and isolation.
This is exemplary in an early work entitled “Sisters”, which comments on the innate similarities of different cultures.
Lieros has come full circle in art – supremely sensitive, not only in concept development, but complete in her mastery of visual language. Her art is the affirmation of form as language and syntax as idea.
The history of Zimbabwean art and culture cannot be written without mentioning her name, as can be seen Dr Helen Lieros’ contribution to the visual arts is colossal.
She is independent Zimbabwe’s first winner of His Excellency President Mugabe’s President’s Award of Honour for her outstanding contribution to the arts of Zimbabwe.