History of Art in Zimbabwe - SOLD
Richard Mudariki (b 1985)
History of Art in Zimbabwe - 2016
Oil on canvas
100 x 100,5 cm
Signed and dated bottom right
Sold - 2016
This painting is a celebration and a tribute to early black modernist, as well as contemporary painters and sculptors from Zimbabwe. The setting is in a thatched dhaga hut, synonymous with the dwelling of many of the Shona artists in the countryside. Among the great paintings and sculptures sits an emerging artist, surrounded by the work of the masters that came before him. Many of the frames are still empty, waiting to house future masterpieces.
Although there are historical evidence of artworks like the Great Zimbabwe Bird Stone Sculptures and the Khoi/San rock art that can be found in many parts of Zimbabwe, modern and contemporary painting and sculpture was only introduced in the 1940’s when Canon Peterson, a Scottish missionary at the Cyrene Mission, established an art school there. Even though the art school’s main focus was depicting religious and biblical scenes of the Christian faith, it marked the beginning of art training and painting for black artists, with John Balopi and Livingstone Sango among the first painters to gain recognition.
The establishment of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in 1957 (then called the Rhodes National Gallery) by the colonial government, saw a rising interest in the work of local sculptors commonly referred to as ‘Shona Sculpture’. This heightened interest in sculpture overshadowed painting by black artists and most artists chose to sculpt rather than to paint, especially because it was more lucrative. A number of important sculptors to emerge during this period were Jorum Mariga, Thomas Mukarobgwa, Nicolas Mukomberanwa, Bernard Matemera, Joseph Ndandarika and Bernard Matemera among others. A small number of black artists did however continue to paint, despite the fact that it was less popular, and artists like Thomas Mukarobgwa and Kingsley Sambo established good reputations.
With independence from colonial rule in 1980, there was a recognition that sculpture has been given much attention at the expense of painting and efforts were made to correct the imbalance. This led to the establishment of the National Gallery art school named BAT Art Workshop, which offered training in drawing and painting.
This meant that from approximately 1990, a growing number of black painters, mostly former students of the BAT Art Workshop, were entering the local art scene that had up to then been the reserve of white painters who had received their training in Europe. These emerging painters included Luis Meque, Ishmael Wilfred, George Churu, Hilary Kashiri and Fasoni Sibanda among others. Some artists, like Keston Beaton, used unconventional materials to create artworks which resulted in them being regarded as some of the earliest black installation artists.
The new millennium brought a political and economic crisis, and much great uncertainty, in Zimbabwe. An emerging group of contemporary painters and sculptors, mostly born after 1980, has however continued where their predecessors had left off. Some of these artists like Portia Zvavahera, Misheck Masamvu, Richard Mudariki, Wallen Mapondera and Admire Kamudzengerere have managed to establish successful careers.
This history of the development of contemporary art in Zimbabwe needs to be acknowledged and celebrated. Though new influences have occurred due to globalization, and with many emerging artists utilising other less traditional forms of expression, the early pioneers will always be important because they laid the foundation of contemporary Zimbabwean art. It is unfortunate that most have passed on, as they would have been great role models and mentors to the current generation of artists.