Gina Figueira

Helen Harris

Helen Harris was born and grew up in Windhoek, Namibia. She graduated from Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town in December 2013 with an Honour’s Degree in Fine Art (sculpture) and a Batchelor’s Degree in Social Anthropology with the support of a Sam Cohen Scholarship. After graduating from her undergraduate degree Helen worked actively in the Namibian art world. In 2014 Helen co-founded a small publication called Artwolfe Zine with the aim of producing a platform for writing and thinking about Namibian art. In 2016 and 2017 Helen worked as the Exhibitions Curator at the National Art Gallery of Namibia. During this time she curated several group and solo exhibitions. In 2017, Helen co-founded StArt Art Gallery with Gina Figueira. Helen and Gina co-curated exhibitions at StArt Art gallery in 2017 and 2018. In 2019 the gallery moved online so that they could continue to run it from a distance while studying. Helen completed her MA in Contemporary Curating (with distinction) at the Manchester School of Art in 2019 with the support of a Commonwealth Scholarship. Her MA research focussed on the work of eight curators, emphasising the need to highlight and create space for decolonial perspectives and local knowledge creation within the writing of Namibian art history. 

In 2019 Helen received a British Council Research Fellowship to work at the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Helen conducted research relating to national representation at the Biennale with specific emphasis on the presence and absence of African national pavilions. 

Selected Curated Exhibitions:

2018: Side by Side, Goethe-Institut, Windhoek, Namibia

Mind to Hand, StArt Art Gallery, Windhoek, Namibia (Solo exhibition, Lynette Diergaardt)

The Black Light Portrait Party, Goethe-Institut, Windhoek, Namibia

Look-See, StArt Art Gallery, Windhoek, Namibia

BOOTH, National Art Gallery of Namibia

Shifting Horizons, StArt Art Gallery, Windhoek, Namibia  (Solo exhibition, Barbara Böhlke)

2017: StArt Salon Volume 1, StArt Art Gallery, Windhoek, Namibia

Being Here, StArt Art Gallery, Windhoek, Namibia

The Shape of Life, Namibianart.net

Inside The Room, StArt Art Gallery, Windhoek, Namibia (Solo exhibition, Laimi Mbangula)

2015-2017: During this period Helen curated 12 solo exhibitions at the National Art Gallery of Namibia by

Yasiel Palomino, Lynette Diergaardt, Ismael Shivute, Kyle Weeks, Trudi Dicks, Petrus Amuthenu, Chris Snyman,Nicky Marais, Michael Mansfield, Oshosheni Hiveluah, Papa Shikongeni and Silke Berens

Helen also curated and co-curated 14 group exhibitions during this time including; 

1884-1915, an Artistic Position National Art Gallery of Namibia  (in collaboration with Spunk Seipel)

Conversations: A Call for Collaboration, National Art Gallery of Namibia

The 2017 Bank Windhoek Triennial, National Art Gallery of Namibia  (in collaboration with Ndeenda Shivute and Gina Figueira)

FREEING; Cardboard Cuts from Namibia, Kulturforum Alte Post, Neuss, Germany  (in collaboration with Klaus Richter)