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Tendai Mufunda works on a painting

Tawanda Matanhire Arts Reporter
“At times I had to go out of my way making international phone calls to high profile personalities looking for contracts and that made me a strong artist because eventually my efforts would prove fruitful after working on pieces for presidents and other influential people.” While other girls a where busy painting their faces and playing with dolls Tendai Mufunda was busy drawing with pencils and paints.

Her love for art began within her at a very young age, growing with time and experience. Today she can proudly call herself a seasoned fine artist. Art comes in countless forms and can be defined in so many ways. Born in 1984, Mufunda attended North Park Primary School in Mt Pleasant and went to Peterhouse for her secondary education.

During her days at school she was known as that girl who loved her art and even performance reports predicted that she had a great future. “I have always loved art. In my first grade at school my primary school report showed that I had great potential in that area,” Mufunda said.

She later on graduated with a bachelor in graphic designing degree at White Cliffe School of art in New Zealand. Mufunda’s work is influenced by women. “I mainly focus on women which is easier to relate with because I am a woman,” she said. Yes I do other subjects but I believe it’s more about communication which in this case is gender.”

Though it was her first love, not so many people believed an individual could earn a meaningful living out of painting on canvas with acrylic paints. The mother of one son had to work hard throughout the years so as to justify art as her profession.

“It was difficult for me to be accepted as an artist especially as a female painter. I had to work hard to defend my occupational choice, so as to justify art as my profession,” she said. Mufunda has managed to attract a following after carrying our several exhibitions locally and internationally.

She has presented her portraits to high profiled members of society including President Mugabe, Graca Machel, Zambian President Edgar Lungu amongst others. “At times I had to go out of my way making international phone calls to high profile personalities looking for contracts and that made me a strong artist because eventually my efforts would prove fruitful after working on pieces for presidents and other influential people,” said Mafunda.

She has also marketed her work through social media platform like Facebook and WhatsApp which have proven to be useful tools in this day and age. In a bid to promote female artists in the country Mufunda will be hosting several exhibitions which will feature women artists from around Zimbabwe.

The first exhibition dubbed “Tendai`s Art and Culture Festival” will be held on October 22 at Alliance Francaise. She believes that women artists are marginalised and they need to be promoted by putting more effort as compared to male artists.

“My core purpose for this exhibition is to promote female artists in the country because I feel they are marginalised as compared to their male counterparts,” she said. I want to see their work being appreciated in the same way as men’s art. When a woman is an artist she is not taken seriously and it is us the women who need to stand and prove that we are better contenders in the industry.

“It really has been a struggle for me to make it in a male-dominated industry but somehow with continuous push because of the passion I have, the results are slowly coming.” Mufunda sees herself as her own challenge because she says she is inspired by her own work though she does not take work of other artists for granted.

“I’m always inspired by my work, not to say there are no good female artists out there but I always tell myself that am my own competition because I believe I am unique in my own way.” She feels she is able to work so that she becomes a point of reference as a successful female artist in the country. “I want to be so influential to the point that I represent the country across the globe. When the world speaks of art in Zimbabwe they speak my name,” she added.

Mufunda is amongst the few women in the country who are willing to go out of their way so as to ensure that they make it in an industry they so much believe in. Fine art is appreciated more in other countries which makes it easier to market it beyond our borders as compared to the local market. The pricing of art is better internationally because players appreciate the industry even more and put so much value in their work.