Talent galore at Gallery art exhibition

centre for contemporary art seeking to develop the visual arts through nurturing talent and creativity at professional levels.
The National Gallery continues to offer artists space to showcase their expressions and at the same time give them a platform to be recognised by both national and international audiences.
This hallmark has seen of some nine of the most aggressive and progressive young artists benefiting in a deservedly three months long exhibition.
The group show that comprised artworks from Richard Mudariki, Muthabisi Pili, Calvin Chimutuwa, Virginia Chihota, Mercy Moyo, Tafadzwa Gwetai, Portia Zvavahera, Warren Mapondera and Zacharia Mukwira examined a unique view of the visual development of Zimbabwean contemporary life.
Through the eyes of these emerging voices, each art piece had its own visual argument that also took a fresh approach by challenging the viewer, which will lead to an understanding of the visual landscape current in the country.
Themed “Hope and Despair”, the multimedia show also examined the country’s art dialogue within a broader international discourse.
For quite a while now, the country has been going through a torrid time both economically and political, but the tenacity of the populace as well as the artists cannot pass without being commented on by the young provocateurs.
The artists brilliantly used various techniques, style and narrative that captured some of the hard times we are enduring.
The work by young artists from various regions of the country presumably showed the bigger picture of what the country’s visual arts will be like in the near future.
Calvin Chimutuwa had a magnificent series of morning prayers by three young innocent souls as the greater part of the country’s population has turned to God for relief from the pain and suffering. Calvin’s touchy-feely semi-realistic paintings on shinny thin aluminum trays had the attraction that a single view was never gratifying even if one did not have the capacity to acquire the pieces.
Warren Mapondera had a wonderful mixed media hanging sculpture titled “Fried by Soul” in connective artistry. His handwork remained the basis of the process by which he connected and glued very desperate elements.
The qualities of the materials – colours, dents, edges, texture, volumes and weights – were used directly and the structuring was fully visible. Awkwardness, irregularity, damage, was not concealed. On the other hand, Mercy Moyo was giving thanks and praises to the Lord in her appreciation of family and love in a huge painting full of created colour and texture on canvas in a piece called “Takadiwa Muhupenyu”.
The art exhibition had a unique power like an earth-force that kept dragging artists and art lovers to visit the show again and again.
The exhibition was an example of the endless support to artists by National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe as the visual arts sector currently needs endless attention and support to see through amazing talents who are leaders in their fields dedicated to creative life despite the country being in isolation.
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 amongst other things. He can be contacted on email at [email protected]