GTIAA 2025
Artist: Colina Wymarra
Artwork Title: Beizam and Gep
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year: 2025
Story
Colina’s artistic approach in this painting departs from her usual focus on cultural themes as she chooses to explore a deeply personal reflection on her childhood. In this work she revisits the time when her Ama, a proud Meriam woman, gave her the name “Beizam”. Her younger sister, Margaret, who would always follow Colina around as a child, was lovingly called “Gep”. Their constant companionship was embodied in the movements of “Beizam and Gep”, as they were inseparable, a dynamic that their Ama aptly named them after.
As the years went by Colina illustrates how their lives took different paths. As times, Beizam and Gep would swim together in the same waters, while at other times, they ventured in different directions. Through the use of various shades of blues and greens in the painting, Colina symbolically traces the different journeys that she and Margaret have taken in life.
In the central design of the painting, Colina highlights moments when life separated Beizam and Gep – capturing the terrain that divided them. Though they no longer hear their Ama’s loving call of “Beizam and Gep”, Colina reminds us that they will forever remain connected by this name, representing their enduring bond, no matter the distance between them.