Zimpapers Logo

Trust Khosa

TIMELESS collections from Tengenenge Arts Community in Guruve, Mashonaland Central Province, are set to dominate the SADC visual arts exhibition running this week at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare. 

A precursor to the SADC Heads of State and Government Summit, the event will celebrate some of the finest artists who left their footprints at Tengenenge Arts Community. 

National Gallery of Zimbabwe executive director, Raphael Chikukwa, took The Herald crew on a tour of the space where renowned artists’ collections will be showcased.

These include Fanizani Akuda, Henry Munyaradzi, Joram Mariga, Bernard Matemera, Sylvester Mubayi, Henry Mukarobgwa, Joseph Ndandarika, Richard Mteki, Colleen Madamombe (the best-known female sculptor) Bernard Takawira and his brother John Takawira and the Mukomberanwa family. 

“We are ready for the SADC visual arts exhibition where art collections from the Tengenenge Arts Community will be showcased. 

“We visited the centre last week and here are some of the collections that we have brought. As usual, the exhibition is open to the public,” he said. 

Chikukwa said art collections from the 16-member bloc will be showcased at the event. 

Dubbed “InnovateSADC: Transformation and Unity in Southern Africa through the Arts” the exhibition is a must-attend for delegates willing to understand African culture through visual arts. 

According to their curatorial statement, the exhibition celebrates the intersection of creativity, technology, and social change within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). 

Through the lens of the arts, this transformative event explores how innovation can drive unity, resilience, and sustainable development across the region. 

Drawn from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s Permanent Collection, the artworks offer a glimpse into the transformation and unity in the region. 

Artists and creators leverage art making and practice to address societal challenges, promote cultural heritage, and amplify marginalised voices. 

Artists delve into questions of identity, belonging, and migration, reflecting the rich tapestry of SADC’s people. The artworks also bridge cultural divides, emphasising shared experiences and interconnectedness across SADC nations. 

This exhibition is an opportunity to investigate how art responds to resource extraction, environmental justice, and sustainable practices in Southern Africa. It will showcase artworks and objects from Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

Innovate SADC will celebrate arts where art meets innovation, fostering a resilient and united Southern Africa.

Visual arts have been hailed for their role in chronicling history through powerful art collections.