Anne Lacheiner-Kuhn: The art of belonging and reimagining

For Namibian artist Anne Lacheiner-Kuhn, art begins with memories of growing up on a farm outside Otjiwarongo in the 1980s, where isolation and creativity went hand in hand.

“Farm life taught me how to solve problems and work with what you have,” she says. “Artists are essentially creative problem-solvers.”

Although she originally dreamed of working in film, limited opportunities in Namibia led her to study fine art instead. Nevertheless, her final university exhibition consisted entirely of video-based works. She later moved to London, where she worked in television editing and special effects for international film productions.

Today, her work is recognised for its use of collage, found materials and reconstructed imagery, a practice inspired by her childhood, where nothing on the farm was ever thrown away.

For more than 15 years, she has collected and cut out images from photography magazines, carefully storing them until they find their place in an artwork.

“It activates the creative side of my brain,” she says. “By the end of the day, the images almost begin having conversations with one another.”

Self is home

Themes of identity, queerness and belonging are central to her work. She says growing up in Namibia before widespread queer representation often made her feel unable to fully express herself.

“I realised two things never change: I will always be queer, and Namibia will always be my home,” she says.

Her latest exhibition, 'Be Longing', explored exactly those themes, with visitors describing the space as one where they finally felt they belonged.

For Lacheiner-Kuhn, success is no longer about sales but about growth and authenticity.

“Being different is one of your greatest strengths in the creative world,” she says. “And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun.”