At the Zimbabwe National Gallery in November

I arrive in harare and head to deliver chosen paintings from myself and Kelli Barker for the miniatures exhibition due to open early 2025..

under the sea… a sneak taste from Kelli Barker… wait to view the full quartet and others in 2025!

Sneak preview of part of my submissions:

one of a triptych -wait to view the whole artwork!!!

one of a triptych – giant land snail with earth pigment

Now, As I walk into the gallery, I am faced by a rolling video of a man, painting his face, then variously taking off, shaving off, the cream and a plastic wrap “facemask”… wow !

It’s Admire Kamudzengerere ! I am thrilled to find Admire’s extensive solo exhibtion, ably curated by Fadzai Muchemwa, still running. 

Our fathers inheritance does not allow us to sleep…

This is welcome time out for me to stop and spend an hour browsing Admire’s powerful graphics, layers of textures and emotions…

Dzinza draws me – here is detail – goat and texture …

Tsoro is so reflective of the pastimes of childhood, into adulthood – the games people play… the owls ranked behind in ominous array -or spiritual support? Intriguing…. One of my favourites…

Mami Wata – this detail from the painting captivates me, lover of stories, ngano, as I am -especially the mermaid myth which swims through the cultures of the whole world in various guises…. Her she seem to possess a dugong or manatee tail

Identity – a huge installation of painstaking placed papers scribing and portraits…monumental in breadth of scale, stretching metres along the wall…this is just part of it

With many small parts making a whole…I feel

like this world of Admire’s is a bigger picture made up of thousands of tiny miniatures – microcosms of human experience forming a greater whole, #allthingsconnected

Different Mood is a larger series of powerful passport like portraits…. Here’s one of them ..

Changing Faces is a huge installation – covering a full gallery wall with tiny stickers, Post Its….

Changing faces -tiny works up close… (these should be on the miniatures exhibitions upcoming as well, I think …. Post it! Stick it!!…..

Post it Stick it series- Admire is also currently showing at a group exhibition at Fondation Blachere, in France…Kuvhunura

A group exhibition called … Kuvhunura , with 25 other wonderful zimbabwean arts, curated by Georgina Maxim of Village Unhu and Valerie Kabov of First Floor Gallery

As I wander happily through the national gallery halls, I come into the south gallery- and a group of 12 young printmaking students from Animal Farm Artists and Dzimbanhete Arts and associates, show a well presented, very potent collection in the well-lit the south gallery …

this is their first foray into dry point etching – wow WOW !!!!

here are just a few of the many prints that caught my eye….

 I get to view Admire’s and the students works in splendid semi- solitude- until a glorious group of primary school children arrive – it is heartwarming to see the eager faces and excitement as they are ushered into the gallery by their teacher and confronted with the powerful art on the walls …

Going through to the yummy Afrotopia Cafe, I meet up with proprietor Steph – wonderfully ebullient as ever, and O’Neal Tanaka Maisiri and his collaborators who tell me about their forthcoming collaboration…. I Wish You Could See Me

This exhibition is looming soon and they are putting in the leg work, not just the creative work !!!… visiting galleries and public spaces to tell people about their art happening end of November at the Greatermans Building/ZICCA

Just the ticket… get one!!

I love meeting O’Neal’s collaborators- vibrant enthusiastic young men, supporting each other in their art journey-

So true to my mantra #allthingsconnected – we are all part of the web!!!

In the gallery shop I happily catch up with Raphael Chikukwa and here he is resplendent in his delightful Zimbabwe bird jacket. The shop has a great array of zimbabwe bird stone sculptures… so of course here is my photo of dear Raphael with a heart of stone …a stone Zimbabwe bird heart!!!

that shop is seductive, with lots to look at these days…. Books, beads, craftwork, recycled art …. I can not resist the recycled tab-top purse that catches my eye

and I meet delightful Evelyn who is on a marketing attachment from the University of Technology Chinoyi – we connect over my purchase of handmade bead jewellery, and that cute purse !…

Evelyn invites me to an interview for “women’s crush Wednesday” ! Happy always to talk art, so we sit in from of Admire’s inspiring works and chat on camera as her fellow attache Opah takes the video.

As I leave the gallery, energized by what turned into a fun and multi/layered visit, this monumental bird sculpture in the gardens yet again catches my eye- (I have always loved looking at it, with its huddled composition reflecting the warmth and solidarity of family) … and now it means so much more, as I see in it reflected the eager young faces and togetherness of all those school children huddled together in front of Admire’s work….some looking in front, some looking behind…

#allthingsconnected ….