malvernmugadzikwa
Society Reporter
ARTIST Francisca Mutapi will lift Zimbabwe’s flag high at the Istanbul Art and Antiques Fair (IAAF), which will be held in Turkey from November 15 to 19.
A painter of repute, Mutapi will showcase her works alongside sculptures, photographic art, multi-media artworks, antiques and other paintings by leading international award-winning artists.
For Mutapi to exhibit in Turkey, her paintings had been selected by a committee and curators at the IAAF.
In Turkey, she will be represented by the South Africa-based African Women Gallery, which is dedicated to African women artists.
The African Women Gallery was established under the umbrella of the African Interpretation Centre.
The African Interpretation Centre was set up in South Africa in 2019 to honour the contributions of African women to art, and to increase their visibility.
At the exhibition, Mutapi will join other female artists from several African countries, including Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
Participating in the IAAF will give her works exposure in Turkey.
For this exhibition, she submitted a body of work called “Flowers Everywhere”.
This is a collection of paintings conveying several messages in flowers.
According to the “Flowers Everywhere” citation, the artist used colours that try to capture the brightness of the Zimbabwean sun.
The citation reads in part: “The idea behind the paintings was to use something aesthetic, something that everyone can appreciate in their sitting room while communicating different emotions or commentating on difficult world events.
“The colours used are bold and bright, a tribute to her Zimbabwean roots. She indicates that she always tries to capture the brightness and colours of the Zimbabwean sun in her painting palate.”
The citation also says “The Flowers Everywhere” draws on different emotions and attitudes.
One painting, “Fiery Lillies”, is described as a work of art that “explores joy and excitement”.
The work is characterised by loose markings and drawings, which are juxtapositioned to painted red oriental lilies.
This looseness, according to the citation, depicts the freedom joy brings.
Another painting, aptly titled “And?” is a portrait of a woman adorned with a massive headdress of flowers.
The headdress looks odd, but the woman carries it with the aloofness of someone who is comfortable with it, someone who does not bother about what the world thinks of her.
Mutapi’s work is held in private collections in several countries that include the United Kingdom, France, the United States and Sierra Leone.
Her participation has been publicised on several social media platforms and in publications such as SANAT magazine in Turkey.
In 2022, the IAAF hosted more than 300 artists, with more than 28 000 people attending.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter