Whabira explores small house phe­nomenon

The exhibition will feature art­works in multiple genres that explore issues of race, religion, ubuntu and the imagination.
Officially launched on December 13, the exhibition runs until January 21 next year.
Whabira said her installation titled “Kiss, Kiss” is an exploration of the small house phe­nomenon which has become topical in Zimbabwe in recent years.

“The small house phenomenon has arisen in soci­ety mainly because polygamy has become taboo.
“Secretive affairs are completely at odds with the open his­torical custom­ary practice of a hus­band gaining the permission of his first wife to take a sec­ond wife.”
She added that women caught up in small house dynamics are compelled often for financial reasons to compro­mise their positions within the family, com­munity and society creating a facade of normality to avoid embarrassment.

She said that her debut exhibit con­sists of 79 man­nequin busts that are interwoven with each other with the numerous bodies com­peting for space, representing the inti­macies and intricacies of a promiscu­ous lifestyle.
The artist, who studied art and design at Central Saint Martin’s Col­lege of Art and Design in the UK, said that the con­ception of a mannequin in the installa­tion as the ideal image of a woman is flawed by their damaged, battered, weathered and grubby appearance.

Raphael Chikukwa, cura­tor of the exhibition, explained that without ubuntu one can never be complete and arguably our culture is an impor­tant element of us all when one looks at these mannequins — they all have scars that resemble those that most women live with.
The talented artist said that stories and events that happen in day to day life inspire her work.

“The piece reveals what is hidden behind a perfect veneer of domestic bliss,” Whabira said.
Whabira said that the idea of the title of her exhibit “Kiss, Kiss” came from the concept of kissing and mak­ing up in relationships.

“I have used it as a metaphorical device to explore the topic. I have sep­arated it firstly as the kiss which is the moment when two lovers close their eyes to each other and invent the per­fect part­ner.
“That’s the start of the illusion, and then I have explored the make-up as a cosmetic cover-up, a lie or a fabrica­tion of the truth.

“I also explored the make-up as a structural framework in the installa­tion,” she said.
The talented artist said that stories and events that happen in day to day life inspire her work.

“My work often takes a story or event as point of departure, drawing on current affairs, literature, language and metaphor for inspiration,” she said, adding that she intends to take her art to greater heights beyond the borders of Zimbabwe.