Online Reporter
Nodumo Moyo [email protected]
An art exhibition set for August 15 in Bulawayo aims to do more than showcase creative talent. It seeks to ignite conversations about Zimbabwe’s identity, challenging audiences to reflect on how colonial history continues to shape culture, relationships and self-perception.
Curated by Bulawayo visual artist Kevin Maponga, the once-off exhibition will bring together artists from Zimbabwe and South Africa for an evening of art, dialogue and community engagement. The programme will feature a group exhibition, artworks for sale, a panel discussion and a paint night designed to encourage interaction between artists and the public.
Titled around the idea of navigating Zimbabwe’s “hybrid culture”, the exhibition examines the tension between African traditions inherited through generations and the Western influences adopted through colonialism. Rather than calling for a return to the past, the event asks how Zimbabweans can preserve their cultural heritage while embracing the realities of modern life.
Maponga said the concept was inspired by the lack of platforms where people openly discuss culture and its direction, drawing influence from the writings of African thinkers Franz Fanon and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. Planning for the exhibition began last year after he developed the concept from the phrase, “there is nothing new under the sun.”
“I felt there weren’t enough platforms discussing important matters regarding culture and where we were headed as a collective like what I’d read from Franz Fanon or Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. We live a shared experience of hybrid culture, from Western names and native surnames to white weddings and lobola, yet we rarely stop to question what these realities mean,” he said.
He said the exhibition seeks to encourage conversations about relationships, identity, expressions of love and the images people aspire to, asking whether these ideals truly empower Zimbabweans or reinforce inherited colonial beliefs.
The exhibition will feature works by Enos Chivenge of Harare, South African artist Retsepile Nare, professionally known as Amehlo, and Bulawayo-based artists Kudzaishe Tafari Muyambiri (Tafari) and Kevin Maponga. According to Maponga, bringing together artists from different backgrounds will enrich the discussion by presenting diverse perspectives and experiences.
The exhibition is being staged in collaboration with Nirväna, co-founded by Nate, who also co-founded clothing brand YET Galore, and Michaella De Necker, People’s Choice winner at FOB 2025, founder of Run for Roses and brand ambassador for Intaba Estates. Maponga said he decided to work with Nirväna after attending one of its events in June.
He said the organisation played a significant role in co-curating the exhibition, assisting with logistics, decoration, audience development, ticket sales and creating the overall atmosphere for the event. He also acknowledged Stolen Pieces for providing a physical ticket outlet.
The panel discussion will serve as the centrepiece of the exhibition, allowing artists and members of the public to openly exchange ideas on culture and identity. It will be followed by a paint night, where participants will create their own artwork while interacting with the artists.
“The panel discussion is really the backbone of the whole event. It creates a safe space where artists and the audience can openly express their thoughts and opinions. The paint night is more of a bonding session where people can have fun and take something home that reminds them they matter and have an important part to play in their community,” Maponga said.
Maponga said collaboration remains essential within Zimbabwe’s creative sector because it opens doors for emerging artists, expands audiences and creates opportunities for learning, networking and professional growth.
The exhibition also reflects Maponga’s own artistic journey. He previously exhibited his work at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s Mirrors and Windows exhibition and held his first solo exhibition, Beauty in Brokenness, at Alliance Française de Bulawayo in July last year, attracting more than 120 people. He said those experiences gave him the confidence to curate an event of this scale and reaffirmed that Bulawayo has an audience eager to engage with meaningful art.
Looking beyond the exhibition, Maponga hopes the event will inspire creatives to organise projects that contribute to intellectual and emotional growth rather than focusing solely on financial gain.
“I hope this exhibition makes the creative sector think more about the impact of the events we host; how they push us forward as a people intellectually and emotionally. Not only to think of profit but also of the substance and meaning behind shows and events. I also want this show to make us think about how we see blackness, challenge the belief systems we were brought up in and change those that divide us for the betterment of Zimbabweans,” he said.
