adminand exhibition of paintings, drawings, graphics and multi-media under the theme “Freedom Revisited”.
The European Union is funding the art show with awards to re-establish its relationship with Zimbabwean art and artists and Gallery Delta. Previously the EU has sponsored huge art shows with
Gallery Delta under the themes “Peace Through Unity and Diversity” in 2007 and “Unity” in 2009.
Artists present during the official launch in the Amphitheatre at Gallery Delta were ecstatic as this came against an uninspiring environment with very little movements in the local art scene.
The young emerging artists in majority with a handful of the established were on cloud nine as this is an opportunity for them to express and record in their own favourable media, their thoughts, imagination or fantasies, impressions and emotions, involving such age old and sought after desire of man to find freedom, either spiritually or in reality, and with in the theme of “Freedom Revisited”.
The theme is open for interpretation by the creative minds and may involve comment and content on the social, economic, political situation and other circumstances prevailing in the country.
The art competition and exhibition scheduled for September 6 2011 is open to practising visual artists aged 23 years and over, not students. An artist is eligible to bring for selection a maximum of three artworks which may be in paintings, drawings, graphics or multi-media or a combination; but not three artworks in each category. The work must be complete, properly presented and ready for display. Works which are discerned as copies or influenced by masters or famous or established artists are unlikely to be selected; therefore practitioners are encouraged to work their highest standard possible. All artists’ work for the show is to be submitted to Gallery Delta on August 26, 2011.
The proposed adjudicating jury includes Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia, head of delegation of the EU to Zimbabwe, established artist Arthur Azevedo, renowned artists and co-founder of Gallery Delta, Helen Lieros, co-founder of Gallery Delta Derek Huggins, artists Greg Shaw, Kate Raath and Cosmos Shiridzinonwa. The prizes for each category are tagged at US$400 for the first, US$200 for the second and US$100 for the third. Some special prizes may also be awarded but prizes in all various categories may be withheld at the discretion of the jury if the quality of the works selected is considered to be less than worthy.
The last held art competition and exhibition titled “Facet, Zimbabwe Now” at Gallery Delta had a considerable number of awards that exhilarated new young and upcoming artists. Exciting first timers to the podium constituted the majority of the award winners, shifting the tide from what had become the nom. The first prize in the painting category was scooped by a young first timer, Webster
Pasipanodya, for his grand effort on “The Sacrificial Giver”.
Another virgin to the awards club, Keith Zenda, got the second prize for his “Peace, Unity But . . . ” whilst a regular Tafadzwa Gwetai was rewarded with the third for “Altered State of Mind.” Another regular to the podium grabbing the first in the Drawings And Graphics section was Wallen Mapondera for “Rega Zvipore” – “Let It Cool,” a mixed media piece that confirms the stamping authority of the media movement that threatens to take under its wings all things known to man since its confirmed establishment some years ago. Mukudzeishe Muzondo was the recipient of the second for his
“Prolonged . . . ,” whilst printmaker specialist Virginia Chihota got away with the third for her serigraph on paper piece titled “Ndirikudonha Makanditarisa,” (I am falling whilst you look at me).
The third award category was the famous multi-media of which the usual suspect Masimba Hwati was rewarded with the first for his “Earth, Water and Wind”, executed in bone, wood and terracotta.
Widely recognised for his paintings, Misheck Masamvu joined the ever upward thrusting mixed media, winning the second prize with his welded metal piece, “Filling The Holes” and Johnson Zuze was rewarded with the third for five multi-media heads titled “Scattered People, We are One.”
Special Mention awards in multi-media went to Wallen Mapondera, Rudo Zijena, Moffat Takadiwa and Gina Maxim whilst in the painting category the awards were extended to Munyaradzi Mugorosa, Shepherd Mahufe, Portia Zvavahera, Petros Mwenga, Inzwai Mushowe, Misheck Masamvu and James Jali.
- Stephen Garan’anga is an international fine art practitioner, independent art projects co-ordinator, chairperson of AfricanColours Artists, executive member Batapata International Artists’ Workshop, critical visual arts, writer amongst other things. He can be contacted at [email protected]
Online Reporter