EU nurtures art in Zim

 The judging panel, which deliberated over several days, came up with an impressive selection of paintings, multi-media objects, drawings and graphics, which was opened last Friday evening by Aldo Dell’Ariccia, head of the EU Delegation to Harare. Addressing a large gathering of art lovers and well-wishers, Dell’Ariccia spoke of the ‘deep-rooted values and morals in Zimbabwean culture’ that find expression through art, and stressed the importance of art in ‘a peaceful society based on respect and solidarity’.
Albert Wachi’s recumbent figure, Mudzimu, embodies all three ideals of the exhibition. A sinuously carved wooden figure, reclining peacefully upon a traditional reed mat, receives messages from the ancestors through dreams. A bright bead necklace contrasts with the smoothly dark, stone-sculpted face of the dreamer.
The stone, metal, wood, bone and leather Royal Objects of Meditation created by Victor Nyakauru are typical of the skill and inspiration associated with this artist. Nyakauru’s Shona head rest is a 21st century version of the traditional head rests seen in the permanent collection in the National Gallery, a vital component in establishing contact with the ancestors, who make their wishes known to the living, while offering advice and guidance.
Masimba Hwati, a highly respected artist who is well on the way to writing his life and expressing the human condition through multi-media three dimensional works, won first prize in the multi-media section for Cosmopolitan, a chess set made of wood, bones, beads and goat skin. A portable chessboard with blocks cut alternately along and across the grain of the wood, illustrates the need for flexibility in a world of globalisation and change. The fact that there are no black and white chess pieces, that kings, queens, rooks, bishops knights and pawns are all brown, suggests that Hwati would seem            to value a society undivided by colour or creed.
First prize for drawings and graphics was won by Wallen Mapondera, whose eye-catching mixed media drawing Ladders to the Sky is hanging next to the fireplace as you enter Gallery Delta. Talented Mapondera, who trained at the acclaimed B.A.T. workshop, also won a prize for Spirit Houses. This multi-media sculpture created from empty matchboxes is reminiscent of the inspiration behind Ghanaian El Anatsui’s shimmering wall hangings made from thousands of aluminium bottle tops.
While many artists have abandoned painting for other art forms such as sculpture, installation and film, painting remains popular in Zimbabwe. Munyaradzi Mugorosa won first prize for his impressive depiction of village life in The Village Bull, while Kufa Makwavarara won second prize for Musenga Bere. This highly stylised painting of two young warriors carrying away the spoils of war, a beautiful young woman, echoes Poussin’s Rape of the Sabine Women.
It is exciting that the EU has promised to support future arts exhibitions, and that Zimbabwean artists will be empowered to become part of the great swath of interest in art, currently sweeping throughout and beyond Africa.
– Gallery Delta
Robert Paul’s Old House
Livingstone Avenue
Harare