The Lechwe Gallery’s current exhibition offers a concise yet vivid portrait of Kafue, a town just outside Lusaka that is negotiating the tension between memory and change. Kafue Colours brings together art by Albert Mulenga and McDonald Nkhoma, revealing Kafue as a place where land, life and community remain rooted in the contrasting rhythms of the Kafue River, its stillness and movement shaping the town’s present-day economic activity.
McDonald Nkhoma’s pieces stood out to me for their focus on the machinery and structures that once defined Kafue’s role as a transit hub. His portrayals of the Land Rover 109 Series and the Volkswagen Beetle were such guideposts to a different era which still quietly linger in Kafue’s neighbourhoods. Through his expression, old houses, bridges and familiar landmarks appear softened into memory, serving as steady witnesses to Kafue’s ongoing transformation.
Albert Mulenga’s paintings shifted my attention toward the interplay of nature, culture and community. He expresses how traditional rites, cultural roots and everyday economic activity continue to shape Kafue’s identity.
His pieces bridge familiar corners and scenes that I have seen and portray a community evolving while trying not to lose its essence, which is rooted in culture, fishing, tourism and the Kafue river.
The exhibition offers a thoughtful reflection of a community navigating change while holding fast to the elements that have long defined it. The artists strike that medley between what is remembered and what is becoming, revealing a town shaped by momentum of the Kafue river and the demands daily life.
As someone who has visited Kafue often, the exhibition carried a sense of familiarity that felt grounding. Yet it also delivered a quiet wave of nostalgia, because so many of the scenes captured in these works now exist mostly as memory of past adventures in Kafue. I feel that the exhibition has underscored how places inevitably change, but the emotional landscapes we carry from them remain, shaping how we continue to see and understand them.
Take a moment to visit the exhibition, which runs until 23rd August 2026, and immerse yourself in the stories and memories held within each piece. Be sure to look out for the dates of the artist walks, they such a good chance to engage with the artists firsthand to understand their inspiration and reflections.
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