US$3 BILLION POWER CLIENTS FOR ZIM’S VISUAL ARTIST . . . Jay-Z, Beyonce buy Takadiwa’s pieces

Talent Gore

IT’S not every day that an artist gets his or her work being noticed, let alone bought, by the power couple of Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Others will probably say it’s almost IMPOSSIBLE for a Zimbabwean artist to have his or her work noticed by the billionaire couple.

But, the real magic of art is that it can defy all expectations and shatter all boundaries.

Jay-Z, the world’s first billionaire hip hop artist, who is estimated to have a net worth of US$2.5 billion, by Forbes, as of April this year, has a fine art collection.

Jay-Z and Beyonce

Forbes noted that in 2019, his art collection was worth US$70 million.

It includes the works of Shepard Fairey, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and Jean Basquiat’s Mecca for which he paid around US$4.5 million, ten years ago.

Now, a Zimbabwean artist, who has partnerships with galleries in New York and Los Angeles, says some of his work has been bought by the power couple.

Contemporary visual artist, Moffat Takadiwa, has been making waves on the international arts scene with his unique and thought-provoking artworks.

And, he has revealed his work has garnered attention from high-profile buyers, including Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Takadiwa, known for his intricate sculptures made from recycled materials, expressed his gratitude for the recognition his work has received abroad.

He says Jay-Z and Beyonce have bought several of his pieces, adding a touch of African artistry to their collection.

“For six or seven years now I have been working with an American gallery based in Los Angeles and New York,” he said.

“So, there are a lot of celebrities who know my work.

“A lot of them collect my work, from musicians to movie stars, so they come through and see the show.”

Takadiwa said his work first impressed Beyonce.

“The first connection was with Beyonce,” he said.

“She wanted one of my works for her music video.

“Beyonce and Jay-Z first bought a piece called ‘The Tengwe Farms’ and they ended up getting many more pieces.”

Takadiwa said Zimbabwean artists were doing very well in the United States.

“As Zimbabwean artists, we are very known in LA (Los Angeles) and I’m actually known as an artist, people know about my show.”