Full Circle Digital Magazine September 2013 | Page 22

A R T I S T

P R O F I L E

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I A N

L A M O N D

This new fragmented figure embodies the breaking up of the formally beautiful Zimbabwe, due to land reforms.
These artworks created by artist, Ian Lamond, in a series entitled I See the Land, symbolises the torn lives of the Zimbabwean citizens, who were forced to leave their homeland through the antics of tyrannical leader, Robert Mugabe. News broadcasters worldwide reported on the physical loss experienced by the citizens of Zimbabwe, but the trauma these dispossessed inhabitants were faced with, once they had left their home soil, had left many scarred. They continue living life day-to-day, with passers-by completely unaware of their plight, history and lost identity. Artist Ian Lamond is one such Zimbabwean, who has turned to art as refuge from the pain and loss he has experienced. Through a creative artistic outlet, Lamond has created beautiful art works as therapeutic remedy for his loss. Lamond’s artistic influence prompted him to start painting the Zimbabwean farmlands that were threatened by Mugabe’s Land Reforms. During this period, Lamond’s work reflected the beauty and natural aura of the farming landscapes that he loved, reiterating his identification with the natural settings. At the time, many farmers lost their stock, equipment, their land, and sometimes even, their lives. The debts owed to the citizens of Zimbabwe were irreplaceable. Says artist Connie Julia, “People turn to the arts when the world turns very dark,” and this is exactly what Lamond had done to gain closure. Lamond’s series entitled I See the Land are reflective of his Graphic educational background. The artworks are measured at a gargantuan scale; initially measuring at 8cm x 5cm, reflecting the personal pain of the individual; they are from there transformed into larger-than-life sized canvases, expressing the collective pain of the Zimbabwean nation. Lamond’s large scale re-pieced, mash-up of various features, is visually unsettling and the effect is somewhat violent, reminiscent of the Frankenstein creation. Feelings of pain reflect deeply in the facial expressions of the figures in his art. “Many were relieved to escape Zimbabwe and find refuge in another part of the world; others, like myself, did not want to desert the country of our birth. We invested in lives,” said Lamond, who had taught art to many students over a 40 year period, eventually heading on to become the head of the Graphic Art Department at Harare Polytech.

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