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Peter Tanyanyiwa : Arts Correspondent

First Floor Gallery Zimbabwe will from June 1 open a unique exhibition by Rodney T Badza titled “The Creator’s Palette” at 31 Lyric Heights in Harare. This will be a show of Rodney’s work for the past four years. The Exhibition will showcase a series of works, including drawings, photographs, prints, illustrations, paintings, ceramics and sculptures.The exhibiting artist Rodney said the theme “Creator’s Palette” tags him as the creator of his artworks and the brainchild behind each composition.

“I have taken the palette as a symbol for my whole body of work much in the same way that I have used the word creator as a symbol. A palette is a board that provides a flat surface on which artists mix paints and the range of colours used.

Merriam Webstera defined it as a thin board that has a hole for the thumb at one end and is used by a painter to mix colours while painting. So in appearance a palette has quite a selection of colours, much in the same way that my journey through learning has had various aspects.

“Also in this regard my exhibition has a selection of different artworks made through different ways, hence it may also be seen as a palette of many colours.

Creator’s palette is my way of showing the world how much I have learnt over the period I have been at Chinhoyi University of Technology. The creator’s palette is I showing my palette for the past 4 years. I have been collecting information and learning new stuff, which I am now ready to give out to the world as a result.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first. These are the words my father always told me, this and that I could achieve anything so long I wanted to. Growing up as a boy I was always interested in drawings and making prints.

Ever since my kindergarten days I would be seen drawing and making patterns every chance I got. I had a creative eye and I would see stuff that others couldn’t. My strength in imagination was unquestionable, so this is my palette, my journey, and the colours of progress,” said Rodney.

This exhibition will be a reflection of everything that the artist have seen during his journey of learning, the experiences he has had, the people he has met and the troubles he has come across.

The theme stands as a form of universality and does not necessarily direct itself to one thing. It points to a lot of these things.

The body of work in the show itself is not inclined to one theme but it is an array of different things. Therefore the only thing that links the artist to his works is the idea that he made them which also points to the artist as the creator being talked about in the theme.