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Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions co-founder Chiko Chazunguza shows some of the paintings that will be auctioned at the gallery

Jonathan Mbiriyamveka Entertainment Reporter
An unique art auction recently opened at Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions aimed at encouraging Zimbabweans to appreciate and buy local paintings. The works which were produced under Dzimbanhete initiative called “Art Factory” comprise mostly paintings by students who took part in the project and more exciting is that each piece to be auctioned start with a price as low as US$5.

However, the price does not in any way mean that the pieces are of low quality, NO! This is just a way by the gallery to ensure that Zimbabweans own some of the brilliant pieces that are made locally.

Some of the pieces to be auctioned include paintings of animals from the nearby Lion and Cheetah Park.
According to Chiko Chazunguza, the co-founder of the gallery said the works were produced in five minutes by students who attended the workshop.

“The essence of the project is primarily to make affordable creative pieces for our people to buy. Some of the students came from Namibia while others were drawn from Chinhoyi University of Technology and Bulawayo.

“We also held other project such as the ‘All are Artists’ with help from the Lion and Cheetah Park. We are trying to encourage creativity because currently we are only consuming art,” he said.

Dzimbanhete (which mean light footprints and not houses) is an artists’ cultural resource centre and creative educational space situated 23km south west of Harare.

Founded in 2007 near Snake world and the Lion and Cheetah Park, the workshop provides an ambient environment for Zimbabweans and regional guest artists to experiment and acquire new technical and conceptual skills in the printmaking disciplines.

An array of handmade manual printmaking methods are carried out at the workshop by professional artists who serve as mentors and technical guides to novices who would like to further expand their skills and scope of expression. The artworks produced at DAI illuminate Zimbabwean cultural heritage and artistic vocabulary.

Common themes explored by the artists at DAI include cultural dislocation, rediscovery of self and the preservation of indigenous consciousness through the arts.

Headed by Zimbabwean international artist, the core staff at DAI is made up of professional artists and art lecturers who impart their skills and knowledge to people from all walks of life.

This month DAI will present artworks that celebrate seven years of existence and re-launch art and re-boot the DAI project.