Remote cultural hub is a highlight worth breaking a journey for
The Mua Mission in central Malawi is an extraordinary place, more so given that it was founded by three Catholic priests who stopped there en route to somewhere else simply because it was getting dark.
This trio of clergymen and their three tents formed the template of much of what the mission looks like now, including the three rondavel-style buildings that make up the Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art.
The Centre is brilliantly put together and informative. Magnificent murals on the outside walls tell the story of the development of the settlement and of the culture of the tribal groups in the area and around greater Malawi.
Visitors are guided into the first of the interlinked museum buildings, in which there is a focus on the history of Mua and the mission. The middle building delves into the complex and fascinating customs of the Chewa people – the room is filled with a startling cavalcade of ritualistic masks. As you step in, it’s at first a touch terrifying and then deeply interesting, with every one of the scores of different designs explained on clear labels. The information also unpacks the Chewa stages of life, societal structures, mythology and much more. The final building deals with the multi-faceted lives and history of the Yao and Ngoni peoples and their equally engrossing rituals and practices.
Inspired output
Across a courtyard, a gallery shows off a bewildering range – works stand on the floor, on pedestals and on shelves on every available vertical surface – of carvings, sculptures and paintings. The creativity is mesmerising, with some of the pieces displaying an intricacy that suggests not only a steadiness of hand to rival a surgeon’s but also an imagination that requires great skill to do it justice.
Some of the art is related to the traditions and mythology explained in the museum, but there is also an intriguing variety of religious paraphernalia, given that this is a Catholic outpost. What is on show in the gallery – sometimes illuminated by a single shaft of sunlight that makes it appear mystical – is not for sale, but for tourists and appreciators of beautifully executed art, pieces are available in a showroom and shop near the museum entrance. There are unique creations, quite different to the cut-and-paste inventory available in less formal craft markets around Africa, and the money paid for them goes straight to the artists, who are all resident in the area. It’s a wonderful investment if anything speaks to you.
Text and photography | Bruce Dennill
For more information, go to malawitourism.com.
