All set for THIS WOMAN’S WORX exhibition

Langalihle Mhiti-Zimpapers Entertainment Hub

SIX exhibitors will lead the showcase of talent and creativity at THIS WOMAN’S WORX, an exhibition set to celebrate women’s contributions to Zimbabwe’s creative sector and highlight how art can powerfully empower women.

Organised by Chengetedza Arts Association, the exhibition aims to increase visibility for women artists and creatives while honouring the stories, resilience, and cultural legacy that continue to shape artistic expression across generations.

The exhibition will take place today at the Zimbabwe German Society/Goethe-Zentrum Harare in Milton Park, running in the afternoon.

In an interview with Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub, Chengetedza Arts Association founder and exhibition curator Moline Katiyo-Mayhew explained that the initiative was developed to provide women with a platform to share their creative journeys, preserve inherited knowledge, and translate cultural experiences into contemporary forms of art.

“The major highlight of THIS WOMAN’S WORX is its celebration of women’s creativity, stories, resilience, and cultural legacy,” she said.

This exhibition is more than a presentation of artworks — it is an advocacy space for women, rooted in the idea that creativity can build confidence, generate opportunities, and strengthen communities. It reflects the belief that when women are supported and their work is recognised, empowerment becomes visible not only through personal growth, but also through broader cultural transformation.

The exhibition will bring together sculptures, installations, wearable art and collaborative works. Participating creatives will explore themes such as storytelling, innovation, sustainability and collaboration. Through these themes, women artists will demonstrate how art becomes a tool for expressing lived experiences, communicating values, and imagining a more inclusive future.

Katiyo-Mayhew said the exhibition also seeks to demonstrate how traditional skills can be adapted to contemporary creative practices, showing that women’s knowledge — especially knowledge passed through mothers and grandmothers — remains relevant even as artistic trends evolve.

“The artists are taking skills and traditions passed down by mothers and grandmothers and reinterpreting them through contemporary art,” she said.

At the centre of the exhibition will be the six main exhibitors, selected for their creative practice and the strength of their artistic voice. Alongside these main artists, there will be additional participating artists and artisans whose work represents a wider range of disciplines within the creative sector.

The exhibition’s design reflects a deliberate effort to represent multiple forms of creativity. Works on display will cover different creative disciplines, including visual art, sculpture, pyrography, crochet, fashion, wearable art and handcraft. Each discipline offers its own method of communicating identity, resilience and innovation — showing how women express meaning through both traditional and modern approaches.

For Katiyo-Mayhew, women’s empowerment through art should include not only recognition during exhibitions, but also longer-term opportunities that allow women creators to grow professionally and sustain their work. She said the event is part of a broader vision to create sustainable platforms for women in Zimbabwe’s creative industry.

“Our vision is to create a sustainable platform where women artists, artisans and creatives can have their voices heard, their work recognised and their stories documented,” she said.

She added that part of the organisation’s mission is bridging generational knowledge systems with contemporary creativity and technology. In this way, the exhibition not only preserves the past — it also supports creative evolution.

“We want to connect the knowledge and traditions inherited from previous generations with contemporary creativity and new technology,” she said.

A key component of THIS WOMAN’S WORX is the development of an online virtual gallery. The digital platform is being built with the support of young technical creatives from the Chengetedza team.

According to Katiyo-Mayhew, the virtual gallery is expected to enable the exhibition to reach audiences beyond the physical venue, increasing exposure for the women exhibitors and expanding access to their work.

The event is being supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Zimbabwe and Kay Media through the SSADZA Grant, while the Zimbabwe German Society/Goethe-Zentrum Harare is supporting the venue.

This partnership reflects the collaborative nature of the creative sector, where multiple stakeholders come together to elevate women’s voices.

Katiyo-Mayhew, who is also one of the featured speakers, said Chengetedza has plans to build on the exhibition after its conclusion. She emphasised that the organisation intends to use the momentum created by THIS WOMAN’S WORX as a foundation for further projects and sustained empowerment initiatives.

The organisation will continue with a documentary project that started in 2025, focusing on Zimbabwean women and their contributions to visual arts, fashion and handcraft.

The documentary component will capture artistic journeys, preserve women’s experiences, and ensure that their contributions are documented for future generations.

Katiyo-Mayhew said Chengetedza also plans to relaunch and develop the Zimbabwe Fashion and Digital Show, build-ing on work supported through an earlier European Union Creative Actions Grant and a project supported through the Culture Fund.

“Our goal is therefore not for THIS WOMAN’S WORX to be a once-off event, but to use it as a foundation for more opportunities, collaborations, skills development and greater visibility for women in Zimbabwe’s creative sector,” she said.

As part of the audience experience, the exhibition will include live music, wine and finger foods — adding a social and entertainment element to the showcasing of artworks.

This inclusive atmosphere is intended to encourage members of the public to engage with the creative works, meet the exhibitors, and participate in conversations around the stories behind each piece.

Ultimately, THIS WOMAN’S WORX aims to strengthen women’s participation in the creative economy by turning artistic expression into visibility, recognition, and opportunity.

Through the physical exhibition and the planned virtual gallery, Chengetedza hopes to broaden the reach of women creatives, while continuing to document the artistic journeys that inspire future generations.