Chinese tailor
Richard Mudariki (b 1985)
Chinese tailor - 2013
Acrylic on canvas
100 x 100 cm
Signed and dated bottom right
On loan
This painting questions China’s involvement in Africa. The tailor is stitching newly defined borders onto the map of Africa – is China transforming Africa positively or negatively, or is its involvement in Africa a form of neo-colonialism? Their economic activities range from small stores selling cheap consumer goods manufactured from the resources of Africa, to their involvement in infrastructure developments, the oil industry and mining projects. The Chinese government, private and state companies, as well as individual Chinese immigrants are changing the commercial face of the continent – often with exploitative labour practises, and usually at the expense of the growth of local African business. Surely one should question the political and economic motives of this powerful global player in Africa.