Gallery hosts expo for upcoming artists

themed “Contrasts” that commenced at Gallery Delta Foundation for Art and the Humanities last Wednesday.
The African Art Trust who came to the rescue of the gallery to make the exhibition a reality since they are currently experiencing acute viability challenges supports the show in Harare.
The uncompromised high level of creativity portrayed by the artworks on the show clearly distances itself from the hiccups bedevilling the critical art space.
Young and upcoming Wallen Mapondera’s work is mostly in hand-made materials and crystal clearly illustrates his passionate and continual exploration in three-dimensional works using his own made materials.
This is an aspect that should be highly commended as there has been a lack of dynamism in regard to production of own art materials to use by the current crop of young artists’ who have turned into masters of found objects.
It is highly refreshing to see new works produced by an artist, especially when a noticeable change has lead to his maturity in style and accomplishment.
Wallen Mapondera’s confidence in the use of the resources that he has created allows what is hidden deep inside him to rise to the surface, what is felt to be revealed.
His “Historical Sling” hung on the wall could be equally powerful even when laid on the ground.
The sling is a powerful simple weapon made out of thick leather straps used to hurl stones by great ancestral hunters of unknown centuries.
Mapondera’s stone is like a world globe made from fibreglass, like materials held by either rhino or elephant skin straps.
The mastery execution of the sling by Wallen is like the work of a blacksmith artist who had one.
Richard Witikani’s “Melfort II” landscape painting shows his calibre as a well-established painter. His deliberate control of luminous colours in his haphazard like rough brush strokes technique to show a medium bush of tropical Savanna grasslands.
Other interesting works on the exhibition were created by Freddy Tauro, Webster Pasipanodya, Munyaradzi Mugorosa, Anthony Bumhira, Xavier Chakabva and George Chibwana.
Joe Chinomona, James Jali, Tapiwa Kamangwana, Admire Kamudzengerere, Shephard Mahufe, Kufa Makwavarara and Richard Mudariki also have works that are on exhibition.
The art exhibition will close its doors to the public on July 21 2011.
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 visual arts writer among other things. Email: [email protected]