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Raphael Chikukwa

A portfolio review was held recently with artists and former students at the National Gallery School of Visual Arts and Design presenting their portfolios for critique by Chief Curator of the Gallery, Raphael Chikukwa and Assistant Curator Fadzai Muchemwa. Highlighted at the exercise was the importance of having such sessions for young and upcoming artists. Chikukwa stated that young artists are supposed to learn and be fully prepared for exhibitions and are supposed to have a smartly presented benchmark level artwork in order to appeal to whomever views their portfolio.

The portfolio review process is intended for artists to showcase their artworks for critically based development in practice. It is an important process as it creates a platform art management professionals to gauge artists by measuring the experience they have, where their interest lies, and their style and medium of work.

A portfolio is meant to reflect an artist’s body of work and the depth in whichever specific area of work they execute. The portfolio is also meant to present talent, commitment and the level of knowledge that artists have by outlining the context and content of the artworks. The artist should be in a position to present art-works of good quality and only the best.

Lilian Magodi, who chiefly works with monotype, depicts everyday life situations which affect women and children. Her artwork, as noted by Chikukwa, are engrossing and powerful as they illustrate the struggles that single mothers face in raising children alone. Chikukwa however pointed out foibles in the proper presentation of the artist’s individual artworks by stressing how young artists need to learn to handle and forward their works better.

For expedited convenience, the Curator pointed out the need for good, high-resolution images of their best work in order to compile them into a Power Point presentation, due to the fact that at times they might not be able to carry all their work to a Review, hence the need to digitize. Chikukwa acceded the use of digital platforms such as Artsy and Behance as means for artists to always update their Portfolios and present them to an unlimited number of buyers, curators and gallery managers.

On the physical side, the Curator advised the artists to have good presentation by investing in staple materials such as mounting card, overlays and frames to make their images look assiduous as compared to using run-down framing that is commensurate to placing their work on a floor.

“The key word is presentation. Presentation is important if one intends to impress,” said Raphael Chikukwa. “Take photographs of the best work and create a slideshow presentation which is good enough to impress curators to visit one at the studio in order to see more of work!”

Chikukwa encouraged the young artists not to work alone but to consult others before creating their portfolios for review in order to select their best artworks that will be able to stand out and engage attention. The constructive nature of criticism is stressed in this light as second or third opinions count for further sprucing up of a body of work.

“When given an opportunity for a Portfolio Review, artists must put their best work forward. Having a seat with former tutors and colleagues help the artist to choose their best work and put it forward,” said Chikukwa. He added: “One has to objectively critique their own work before presenting it to others.”

Another artist by the name Kudakwashe Dongo, also presented his work for critique. His focus is on painting and printmaking. Assistant Curator, Fadzai Muchemwa said that the upcoming artist needs to focus on a single theme and make the best out of it as opposed to attempting different media at once. She further mentioned that it is important for the artists to have solid pieces of art that vary less in medium or style than it is to have a lot of different mediums and styles but poor presentation and standard. Muchemwa stated that the study of material was key to execute artwork that expresses a theme in the most succinct manner.

A designer named Current Mukwara was also critiqued; a stone’s throw away from Fine Art, Mukwara’s focus is on branding, motion graphics and creative arts. He has done logo design, poster, brochure, and cover designs among other things. In a comment, Curator for Education Tandazani Dhlakama commended the young artists in continuing with doing artworks even after graduation citing that it is not easy. She also highlighted that Current needed to look at what other artists in the design world were doing as design trends are constantly changing.

Dhlakama pointed out that artists need to be aggressive in research as there is a brand of people who claim to be designers through learning how to design off the internet. She pointed out that each and every artist and designer needs a sui generis which sets them apart from the rest of the practice, anchored by the natural flow of creativity.

In closing remarks, Chief Curator Chikukwa encouraged young artists to go big, to think and practice outside the box. He stressed that the internet can be utilized for research on other world-renowned artists, as coupled with the Gallery’s Thomas Meikle Library. With this in mind, young artists offer potential growth through new innovative ideas that can engross various audience through adaptation of the criticism offered therein the review.