Picasso Leon honours women’s resilience with striking artwork

Contemporary artist Picasso Leon (born Leon Siziba), based at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, marked the just concluded Women’s Month with a striking painting titled Pieces of Her.

A visual puzzle brought to life, Pieces of Her combines multiple fragments to form a single, larger image of a woman, an artwork that commands attention at first glance. The piece was unveiled on Women’s Day as a tribute to women, celebrating their resilience, complexity, and beauty.

“I created this work as a reflection of the modern woman – complex, layered, and often misunderstood. At first glance, she appears whole, confident, and present. But when you look closer, you realise that she’s made up of fragments like a puzzle that is constantly being assembled and reassembled by life,” said Picasso Leon.

The painting depicts a young woman with her arms interlocked above her head, hair flowing freely around her face. Her face and arms are composed of puzzle pieces, some imperfectly linked, yet collectively forming the larger image of the woman. “Each piece represents expectations, experiences, pressures, and identities placed upon her by society, culture, and even herself. The decorative elements in her hair symbolise how the world often tries to define women through beauty, trends, and external validation. Yet beneath all of that, her gaze remains steady – powerful, aware, and unbroken.

“The artwork speaks to how women carry multiple versions of themselves at once: the seen and the unseen, the celebrated and the overlooked. Even when fragmented, she is not broken – she is evolving. I presented this piece on Women’s Day to honour that strength, that ability of a woman to remain whole, even when life tries to divide her into pieces,” added Leon.

Picasso Leon, known for creating paintings of notable South African musicians and presenting them during their Zimbabwe visits, revealed the piece was inspired by English-Danish rockstar Iris Gold.

“I initially created the artwork without the puzzle pieces because it was meant to serve as an album cover for her. The plan didn’t materialise, so I thought, why not turn it into my own story? That’s when I added the puzzle pieces, giving the artwork a deeper meaning. It reflects the experiences of women and the challenges they navigate. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but it’s important to transform setbacks into something positive. What began as a missed opportunity became a masterpiece.”

The painting is on display at the gallery in Leon’s creative studio, a space where the artist continues to explore the stories of our times through contemporary art.