Zim artists for Venice Biennale 2022.
Here comes another Fabulous Four!
By Nyadzombe Nyampenza
Mukwazhi, Muchatuta, Musekiwa and Mapondera, sounds like a high powered legal representation. This is the team that will represent Zimbabwe in the court of public opinion at the 59Th Edition of the Venice Biennale. Considering the overwhelming amount of talent in Zimbabwe, it is a telling sign that these artists were picked for the task. At a time like this.
Kresiah Mukwazhi was born in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Mukwazhi’s work is concerned with feminist causes. Her performances and multimedia pieces are inspired by personal experience. The work is also enriched through empathy with other women that have suffered violence and abuse. Kresiah’s choice of materials establish a connection between the audience and her message. The feminine garments create immediate association. Use of second hand clothing adds a layer of history to the work. Her ways of acquiring the material is a process and navigation that adds meaning to each piece. Mukwazhi lends her voice to difficult issues. A privileged male cannot claim to understand how a woman feels under any circumstance. Mukwazhi provides hope and possibility. She not only challenges the viewer, but offers a way that leads to genuine reflections.
Wallen Mapondera was born in 1985 in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is best known for wall sculptures that are made from cardboard and textiles. Abstract in nature they engage the eye without carrying explicit imagery. Texture and color offer clues to the puzzle. Mapondera’s informative titles offer another gateway to understanding his subject. His themes are relatable as they explore social, economic, and political situations that most Zimbabweans have experienced. Minute details in his work call for attention. Decoding the symbolism in his work often reveals dramatic scenarios. The work rewards those who are patient. For the intuitive, Wallen’s work can provoke a visceral response. His pieces are well thought and resolved.
Ronald Muchatuta was born in 1984 in Zimbabwe. Among Muchatuta’s powerful oeuvre is a popular 2015 body of work ‘’The Emigration Series’. It is a series of paintings made in response to the deadly outbreak of xenophobia in South Africa were the artist is based. To speak up is a bold act on his part. He could have chosen to stay silent for reasons of personal safety. Others in his position might have remained anonymous in the comfort and security of their elite circles. Muchatuta’s sense of responsibility makes him his brothers keeper. His work delineates the issues in such a way that allows the message to touch the victim and the perpetrator. Using symbolic codes such as the colors of a Changani bag for his pallet, he appeals for compassion without being consumed by personal feelings. His subjects earn the viewers sympathy. Their harrowing experiences can be felt by both friend and foe.
Terrence Musekiwa was born in 1990, in Zimbabwe. Musekiwa’s style feels like that of an outsider. His voice is unique. The artist learned to carve stone at the age of ten from his father. Most artists with his exposure and pedigree would go on to establish successful careers of their own by following tradition. Self-consciously Musekiwa chose a different path. While maintaining his relationship with the old medium and tradition, he brought new elements to his work. Combining stone with other elements was not new at his time of development. His use of found objects however feels portentous. The combination does not seem to sit together perfectly. By evoking the unfamiliar his sculptures impart a different way of looking. The message becomes loud and clear.
Over the years Zimbabwe has maintained its presence and positive reputation at the Venice Biennale. Expectations will be high. Fadzai Muchemwa has been commissioned as curator for the pavilion. The selection committee invited by Executive director for the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Raphael Chikukwa has done its part. Zimbabwe looks forward to another prideful moment, at La Biennale di Venezia 2022.
