Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
AS the foundation for a fine artist encompasses how they strive to develop new methods or ideas for making art, the lockdown has stimulated Miranda “Mimie” Mathe to spread her wings from fine art to fabric mosaic art.
In fine art, Mimie specialised in paintings but now, she has rolled onto fabric mosaic (picture or pattern produced by arranging together small pieces of fabric) where she is using a coherent pattern in which each component is built from small regular or irregular pieces of substances of cloth.
The 24-year-old said the venture into a new field has been necessitated by the obstacles brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. This being so as the lockdown has not spared the ambitious artiste who has failed to fully execute her talent in painting due to unavailability of resources.
“I’ve been working at the National Art Gallery of Bulawayo for the past three years focusing on landscape and portrait painting that was inspired by day to day living.
“The lockdown has brought about change and that has influenced me to experiment my art with fabrics since paint is hard to get because of the lockdown,” said Mimie.
“From the comfort of my home, I’m using fabrics and glue to create new artworks using a three-layered hard paper called a duplex.”
As she is familiarising herself with a new line of work, Mimie who is now working from the corner of her bedroom in Luveve 5 suburb said her new work shows the need of echoing truths about the realities that have been illuminated by the global pandemic.
“From every angle of the world, what is certain in people’s lives is the fact that they are filled with hope that one day, things will lead to a new normal.
“My work therefore, through bright colours, shows the hope filled in people’s hearts.”
She said she is enjoying fabric mosaics as it’s an interesting form of art. “Being into this type of art is turning out very well as I just have to understand my colours and know how to blend them. Thus, I can say, so far, so good,” said Mimie.
Her interpretation of the pandemic shows how it has become an important landmark for artistes to ensure that people turn back and reflect on this moment.
As face masks are gaining ground due to the fact that they are mandatory to wear in public spaces, there has been an inevitable influx of tailors and Mimie has taken advantage of this time to source the fabric which complements her mosaics.
“I source unused, old clothes and I’m also getting some material from tailors as well. These mostly will be their offcuts,” she said. — @mthabisi_mthire.
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