adminmilestone fine art prints exhibition at their centre.
The centre lies between the Lion and Cheetah Park and the Snake World in a natural environment of interlocking savanna bushy trees in between enormous granite and sedimentary rocks.
The 2011 edition of the annual print show dubbed “Zviro Zviedzwa” that was launched a couple of months ago with publicity in both electronic and print media truly celebrates the art of print making with a galore of techniques in amazing artworks up the walls.
“Zviro Zviedzwa”, a Shona idiom that means exploration, is a necessity, is a theme that artists seem to have tackled with so much ease as it was very open to creativity and expression.
The exhibition is supported by the Austrian Embassy who have become their all-weather sponsor.
DAI is an artists’ resource centre which have been promoting the print media since it collaborated with the Triangle Arts’ Batapata International Artists’ Workshop some years ago to host two weeks card print workshop at the centre and have never slid backwards.
They found a critical opportunity for visual artists to interact, explore technical possibilities and network as they endeavour to promote the growth and development of the art of print making through annual empowerment workshops and a prestigious exhibition, dubbed DAI Month of Printmaking.
To date DAI has organised a number of mentorship workshops, numerous outreach and artists-in-residence programmes and art exhibitions.
The current exhibition with magnificent prints by 21 artists who include Gareth Nyandoro, Mavis Tauzeni, Franklyn Dzingai, Anusa Salanje, Portia Zvavahera, Virginia Chihota, Mercy Moyo and Richard Witikani, to mention a few, was officially opened on May 26, 2011 by Derek Huggins.
Huggins is the co-director of Gallery Delta Foundation for art and the humanities.
Also present were his co-director and wife as well as a senior printmaker, her ladyship Helen Lieros and the Embassy of Austria in Zimbabwe.
Huggins highly commended the effort being put by the centre and the visual artists and offered to collaborate with DAI at Gallery Delta in the near future.
The exhibition is testimony to the significance the Austrian diplomatic mission to Zimbabwe attaches to cultural expression of the people of Zimbabwe.
The leadership of excellence by DAI’s co-ordinators Madzisekuru Romeo Sabawu, Jonathan Dube and their dedicated young team of rising artists has seen the quality of exhibitions and other activities growing.
This against a backdrop of various challenges the country’s artists are enduring such as lack of exposure to various media, work materials, appropriate tools and equipment, working spaces and a market for their products amongst others.
Dai intends to hold a DAI Month of Printmaking exhibition and competition, where prizes are to be awarded, an incentive for taking up printmaking seriously and as a source of livelihood.
Dai shall also continue to look for opportunities to showcase products from their art workshops, exhibitions and artist-in-residence programmes anywhere else possible, even beyond borders, to reach a wider and diverse audience and market for the artists.
l Stephen Garan’anga, is an international fine art practitioner, independent art projects coordinator, chairperson of AfricanColours Artists, executive member Batapata International Artists’ Workshop, critical visualarts writer amongst other things. He can be contacted on [email protected]
Online Reporter