Figueira leaves behind a giant legacy

Acclaimed Namibian photographer Tony Figueira died on Wednesday, 12 April at the age of 57, leading to an outpouring of grief in Namibia and around the world.

The news was greeted by heartfelt tributes to his legacy, not only as an artist and journalist, but as an inspiring teacher, generous friend, family man and overall kind human being.

“It sounds trite to say Tony was a kind and good man, but it is true,” said Gwen Lister, a long-time friend.

Another close friend and sometime artistic colleague, Sigi Kolbe, said during their friendship and collaborations, it became clear that “Tony may not have been tall in stature, but he was a giant in every other aspect”.

Many of the tributes shared publicly over the last few days shared common threads of the lasting impression Figueira made on the people he met, of his generosity, kindness, commitment and open-mindedness. And, consistently, of his dedication and passion for photography, the art form he discovered at the age of 16.

John Liebenberg, a renowned photographer in his own right, met Figueira when he was 18, in matric at St Paul's College in 1979. They remained lifelong friends, and shared many years as colleagues during the pre-independence era.

Liebenberg described Figueira as a “very competent photographer who understood his camera and capabilities. He worked with fervour, always delivering high quality work, and living up to the requirements of his clients.”



Music and humour

Lister said Figueira stood out in the 1980s for always being ready to help, whether it was to volunteer distributing newspapers or contributing with weekend sport reporting for The Namibian.

Mostly though, she said, Figueira will be remembered for “his love for photography”.

Privately, Liebenberg described his friend as “a highly principled person, but always friendly and sensitive to the lives of people”.

He said Figueira lived a full life, a man who “loved his art photography and gave it preference to the day-by-day work he did.”

Many commented on his love for music, especially jazz. Liebenberg said Figueira played drums in the Rhodes jazz band while he was studying.

A close friend said Figueira was part of the “first truly multi-racial band” in pre-independent Namibia in the 1980s. “Tony, like many of his photographs, was enigmatic. Rest in peace my friend.”

Figueira's sense of humour, his ready laugh and his love for his wife Gabi and his daughter Gina stood out for Lister.

“He will forever be remembered by those who knew him, and his photographic images will ensure that he is never forgotten,” she added.



Artist

Figueira's first camera was a Pentax, which he received via mail order as a teenager.

After he completed a degree in journalism at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in 1984, he was catapulted as a photojournalist into the tumultuous liberation struggle, documenting a number of historic moments and people at the time and after independence.

Although he could have chosen a steady job in the motor repair business, a job he did while completing his studies, he nevertheless chose the less certain path of a photographer, a deliberate choice based on his passion for the craft.

He later said that the work he did as a photojournalist during Namibia's pre- and post-independence phases “augmented the passion to document people and processes.”

Liebenberg said after Figueira finished his degree, he was called up for military service, which “he very obstinately refused.”

In 2004, Figueira, together with partners, opened Studio 77, a place that for many years became the centre of his work and one of Namibia's premier photo studios. There he offered others a chance to exhibit their own work and he became a much loved teacher, and inspiration, to many.

Studio 77 became a one-stop shop for photographic services, workshops, fine-art photography, entrenching Figueira's reputation as a Namibian photographic artist, teacher and mentor to many.

Kolbe, who lived near Figueira and his wife Gabi after they moved to Swakopmund about two years ago, remembers Tony as a generous and helpful man, who was an inspiring teacher.

Kolbe, an artist and yoga teacher, describes Figueira as “always generous and helpful, he was not petty or envious. He wanted to see everyone flourish and grow in their own light.”

After Kolbe decided to pursue photography, she took one of Figueira's classes. She says she “loved his ability to share information and teach with clarity, enthusiasm and creativity. I loved his confidence with the camera and his ability to multi-task wherever he went.”

She said Figueira relished the sometimes stressful environments of corporate or commissioned shoots at his studio, a lesson she took on board after they worked together on occasion. “Tony had vision and determination, this inspired me.”

Following a benefit exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Namibia in 2015, 'For Tony', Figueira told a reporter that in his view “true photography has to be composed in the mind before the shutter is released.”

He said principally, photography was about mastering the technical aspects of it, and most importantly, about understanding light.

Figueira himself was a beacon of light to many, as the messages of condolence attest.

In one, an admirer and former student wrote: “You were more than a teacher and photographer, you were an inspiration for others to be better people. We will miss you my friend.”

JANA-MARI SMITH