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Stephen Garan’anga Own Correspondent
Fine art practitioner Gareth Nyandoro emerged on the local art scene only as virgin college graduate merely a decade ago to evolve out of reaction and necessity from the rudimentary use of found objects to carefully chosen and serendipitously discovered facsimiles of energy.
Since his debut art show at Gallery Delta in 2004, the down to earth young dreadlocked man has become synonymous with undisputed high power of creativity, using unorthodox means to ensemble an array of found objects in multi-media constructions as well as high dexterity levels of engraving, weaving and textural design.

His last solo offering titled ‘Weaving Life’ that was hosted by Gallery Delta Foundation for Art and Humanities prior to his departure for The Netherlands to further his art education was refreshing to see, especially with the noticeable change that has led to his maturity in style and accomplishment.

‘Weaving Life’ narrated Zimbabwe’s socio-political and cultural context of the forgettable lengthy period that the country crossed acres of treacherous terrain.

The exhibition revealed how Gareth complicated his life trying to establish if patience could be one of his virtues by picking up and purchasing innumerable Chinese tape measures, wove them into art pieces of various sizes including monumental ones.

“Kondemborari Maski 1” and “Mathematical Icon” bore testimony of the good things that come to those who take their time.

He went steps further in huge glass framed pieces in which he executed on card stuck on canvas, engraving myriad intricate lines with an extremely sharp self-devised blade before peeling off details in tinydiamond shapes, triangles, rectangles, squares and irregular shapesconfusing the eye.

Pieces in such execution include “Lazy, Lazy” sized 13 736 square centimeters in which he portrayed a lamely sited lad in black from the cheap cap laid on his head, his skin, short sleeved shirt, pair of short pants and the well-designed stool supporting his weight.

Only his awkward self-made sandals (manyatera) were pale red in colour contrasting with the crimson and khaki checkered floor tiles against dirty khaki walls of the empty room.

The shear detailand highlights of the face, legs and hands resting on the thighs holding an indistinguishable black object curving like a Shona bull’s horn down obstructing the left foot;were brought to the fore by exposing the khaki card underneath the ivory black paint.

Amazing too were the textures especially those of tiny perfect circles’ material glued on the shirt and the unsurpassable craftsmanship on the stool.Unfortunately the magnificent piece was snatched within few minutes of the opening.

Other art pieces in similar exquisite style included “Compromise”, “Maita, Maita Moyo”, “Mudhara Wemubobobo” and the biggest of all them all the magnificent two portraits of “Co-existence”’.

“Co-existence” was mixed on heavy card glued on canvas measuring about 5,656 square meters in the goodness of mastery dexterity of designs and texture.

The left female portrait was predominantly red tainted with browns and alinear light blue colour outlined the features of the left eye going down anup the nose to the lower line of the right eye.

An impressed smile exposing khaki teeth full of plaque gave character to the young lady.

The other face in blues with fluffy hair on the extreme half of the headand a smile too of titanium white teeth summed up the unframed huge piece hung by a lengthy light plank stapled behind the canvas.

It would have been unjust to sum up the 37-piece art exhibition review without highly commending the linocut, woodcut and card prints strenuously crafted in multi colour, well mounted and glass framed as often graphics demand.

Gareth has been a serious print maker since he took art as a career of choice. His printing intricacies rightly deserve to be projected in their own solo show.

They go as far back as his training days at Masvingo and Harare polytechnics as well as Chinhoyi University of Technology.

Since his debut in a three-man show Gareth has participated in more than 50 art exhibitions at home and abroad.

Along the way he has been rewarded seven times with awards for his outstanding work.

The awards include the country’s most lucrative 1st prize in the Live and Direct art competition and exhibition of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in 2010 and an award of merit in the Summer Exhibition at Gallery Delta Foundation for art and the humanities in the same year.

Previously he had picked up other 1st prizes for ‘Drawings and Graphics’ in Unity, 2009 and “Peace Through Unity” and “Diversity 2007” art competitions and exhibitions respectively ahead of other consolation prizes.

Gareth’s “Weaving Life” came as a follow up to “Mutariri”, his other one man show which was hosted by Harare’s National Gallery of Zimbabwe in 2012 where he used found objects discarded from everyday life to create artworks that encouraged social engagement and creating an enriching dialogue between tradition and modernity.

The sky seems to be the limit for Gareth if he continues to focus his time and energy to his artistic creativity.

Also Gareth has promised more artworks of different varieties in his next works.