AN ARK NOAH 1979

John Muafangejo made this linocut print, titled "An Ark Noah," sometime before his death in 1987. Muafangejo lived and worked in Namibia under South African occupation. As a printmaker trained by Swedish missionaries, Muafangejo developed a signature style using stark black and white contrasts and incorporating biblical and historical texts directly into his images. Here, the story of Noah's Ark becomes a powerful commentary on themes of destruction, salvation, and the relationship between humanity and the natural world. The ark teems with African animals, a detail which reflects the artist's cultural context. His visual vocabulary, derived from mission school instruction, fuses with his Ovambo heritage, providing a fresh perspective on familiar biblical narratives and expressing the tensions of colonial and postcolonial Africa. Understanding Muafangejo's art requires exploring the religious and political history of Namibia, considering the role of missionary education, and examining the social conditions that shaped his artistic vision. It reminds us that art is always embedded in a specific cultural and institutional context.