Art, sex and magic.
By Nyadzombe Nyampenza
Mubobobo is a Shona term for nonconsensual sex performed by the use of magic. It involves no physical contact. The practice is traditionally condemned and forbidden. Artist Patrick Makumbe has done a painting on the subject and it raises critical questions about sexual mores.
Makumbe’s painting titled Bluetooth shows a man standing very close behind a woman, looking at her backside. She may not be aware of the man’s presence. Her face is cropped out of the frame. The woman’s red hair and the red markings on her dress signal sexual attraction. The man has clearly crossed the boundaries of personal space and privacy. His crossed arms show that he is not willing to be physically connected to the woman. This scenario is common in the streets of Harare. Men gaze at women and sometimes pass lewd comments.
The painting depicts a regular form of harassment that women face. Its title derives from a lighthearted colloquial term for mubobobo. Makumbe elevates the predatory behavior, equating it to a taboo form of perverted sex.
