‘Eye Report’: 2 decades in the making ‘Bond II’ by Percy Manyonga
‘Bond II’ by Percy Manyonga

‘Bond II’ by Percy Manyonga

Stephen Garan’anga Visual Art
Numerous bold-eyed facial expressions are everywhere with you under scrutiny, recording even the minutest of movements you make at Village Unhu art space in Harare. It is nature’s design that everything you do, no matter the space and circumstances, there is always someone watching.

Whether the deed is revealed or not, you can be rest assured that there is a record for it. It is now time for an “Eye Report”, according to a debut solo exhibition by established mid-career visual artist Percy Manyonga whose multi-media work seems to attract special attention wherever it appears.

He has been a versatile practitioner for over two decades, participating in numerous high profile exhibitions at home and beyond. But surprisingly he had never had a one man show platform until the current that opened recently.

It was not of a major concern for him as he was always being creative and showing at major shows though at the back of his mind being conscious that it is the norm that any artist of repute does have solo shows to his credit. Now they are lining up thick and fast even beyond Zimbabwe’s geographical boarders.

He has proven patience as one of his virtues. He waited for his right moment to strike with such potent venom like no other. His work has come in all shapes and sizes, dominated by small expressional portraiture paintings in representational abstract.

In the unique exhibition some of the work lean against the wall, others of degenerated shoes and shoe soles hang precariously from a makeshift flexible line in astonishing constructions, portraiture painted wood blocks rise proudly in tandem on wooden furniture tops and some on canvases shoving for space and so on.

The titles of the work are as intriguing as they get like “Don’t Ask Why”, “Look, Listen and Decide”, “Get Up, Stand Up”, “Furorenzi”, “Wheel to Power”, “Black Power”, “I Wonder Why’ “Rebel Leader”, “Iron Lady”, “Officer in Charge”, “Officer Elizabeth”, “Officer Morini”, “Richman”, “Empty Words”, “Scape Goat”, “Free at Last”, “The Inside Story”, “Deceiving”, “Guards”, “Reach Out”, “Bond” a five-part series, “Remake the World” a three-part series, “Mind Game”, “Wandering Wanderer”, “Wishes”, “Tailor-Made”, “Cross Over”, “Keroline”, “Urchin”, “Reach Out”, “Out of the Dark” and “Fighting for Top Honours” to high light some.

A typical stripped off ironing board which seem to have been annexed from Percy’s significant other hang peacefully high on a clean wall, showing scars of being burnt, scratched, scribbled and so forth appear like an old daily newspaper column in “Wishes”.

Next to it is ‘The Inside Story’,a two part mixed media on canvas which really looks like a separated double page of a daily newspaper form your area revealing the rot of some officials in high public offices and the incompetence of local authorities.

“Sometimes you have to swallow your pride to get much needed assistance” said Percy about “Reach Out”, a mixed media on canvas in a landscape format appearing weird. About two thirds to the right is chromate black and the other whitish with elongated clumsy open hands of a needy torso seeking relief from the dark.

Black paint uncontrollably flows over the sketchy white figure, which look very desperate in every sense with a touch of crimson and grey along the left arm.

In one peculiar ‘Mind Games’ a left tilted from the vertical axis black head of a local hardcore breed of a “Shona” type bull raise its short black and white right horn calmly from an underneath profile with an arms folding torso wearing a tie on a formal shirt and a jacket in sketchy and dripping black and white.

The numerous small portraits are dominated by oversized bold eyes and at times with pronounced lips expressing varying attitudes. The five part “Bond” series is portrayed by pairs of disintegrating shoes and soles of various fashion trends that saw off innumerable steps on countless terrain.

There are numerous subjects to report on this Manyonga milestone show and even more still to be revealed especially in the forthcoming solos he has been asked to prepare for.

“Village Unhu” art space on 10 Silwood Close, Chisipite has shuttered the barrier of a remarkable artist and person who puts others before him. The exhibition comes down in mid May 2016.

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