This paper analyses visual research methodology, ethical and theoretical issues concerning visual research as a participatory practice by examining a case study of the World of Hope artist’s workshop conducted in Malawi, Africa. The workshop was initiated by twelve artists, the Museums of Malawi resident artist, and the author as a way of exploring international, national and local, arts and culture mandates such as UNESCO’s Art Education Road Map (2010), UNESCO’s African Art Education Conference (2001) Art Has No Borders, Malawi’s Growth and Development Strategy - MGDS (2006) and the socially responsible mission and mandates of the Museums of Malawi. Whereby, artists considered their pre-existing knowledge of the visual, and questioned how the visual impacts the social and how the social impacts the visual in the cultural construction of everyday life in Malawi. Artists sought to express their ideas collaboratively by creating four large scale paintings entitled Tolerance through Art, Culture is Life, Culture Has No Boundaries, and World of Hope. These paintings reflected the artists situated understanding of the production of the visual image, as a way to shape Malawian peoples understanding of social cultural life.  In doing so, they voiced their concern for supporting the MGDS goals, and asserted their position of playing a vital role within Malawian society.