D'kar

D'kar is a Naro San settlement north of Ghanzi, and since 1990 it has been home to the Kuru Art Project, where San artists paint and print work that is sold through a gallery on site and has been exhibited in Europe and elsewhere. The imagery draws on animals, plants and daily life rather than reproducing rock art, and the artists are named and paid directly. There is also a museum covering Naro culture and language, and craft work sold through the same structure.

Background

The village began as a farm belonging to the Gereformeerde Church and grew into a rural settlement after the land was given to the Naro. The 2001 census counted 943 residents. A tar road passes within 1 km, but inside the village there is only a gravel road. Besides the Kuru initiative and its shop, whose income goes to help the Kalahari people, D'kar has a school and a clinic, and a game farm lies about 15 to 20 km away on the road to Ghanzi. On the far side of the globe, no populated place lies closer to the antipode of Honolulu, and the village is almost exactly opposite the town of Wahiawā in Hawai‘i.

Source: Wikipedia, "Dekar"

What to look for

• The Kuru Art Project - a working studio and gallery of San painters and printmakers.
• The artists' work - paintings and prints drawing on animals, plants and daily life.
• The museum - displays on Naro culture, language and history.
• The craft outlet - beadwork and other craft sold through the community project.

When to go

April to September is the most comfortable. The gallery keeps weekday hours and is best visited mid-morning. Summer heat is severe.

Things to know

Opening hours are limited and the studio is not always working when visitors arrive. Prices for original work are substantial. This is a working village rather than a cultural display and should be treated as one.

Nearby

Ghanzi is south, and the Central Kalahari is east.

Key facts