Mind reading.
A way of coming to terms with life.
By Nyadzombe Nyampenza
No one can tell what is on another person's mind. It is difficult to understand even one's own mental state. Artist Grace Nyahangare finds a way to articulate her own mental condition. Her work offers the viewer an opportunity to read her mind.
Nyahangare’s piece is a head and shoulders drawing of a woman. The artist calls it a self portrait. It is an abstract self representation. Her features are scrawled and distorted beyond recognition.The sitter is posed as if it were a picture for official use. She faces the viewer in a vulnerable and direct way.
The woman’s face has various shades of color that convey different moods. The lines over her face could be scars, aging, or a sign of stress. Her eyes are inscrutable in a neutral gray. The hair seems prematurely gray. There are several people depicted across her horizon. They stand as gray silhouettes across her boson. Their forms represent men, women and children.
Nyahangare does not need words. Meandering and contorted lines reveal the face. The body is composed under a bleeding crosshatch. The action of transferring each mark to the medium reveals her true emotions. Her portrait allows the viewer to come to terms with the human condition.
