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Beaven Dhliwayo Features Writer

Twenty-six-year-old Zimbabwean, Kundai Chirunga, will launch a hub to exhibit African art, culture and history at the Black Arts Indaba hosted by “Each One Teach One” in Berlin, Germany, from December 7 to 8.

The hub will be known as MAVARA HUB, trading as MAVARA: Shades Of Africa.

In an interview with The Herald on Saturday, Chirungu said MAVARA, which means shades in Shona, will help people appreciate the similarities and differences of African cultures and take a shift from the single story most people of the world have heard about the continent.

He said the effects of colonialism are still showing no matter how hard people try to ignore them. “We live on a continent that doesn’t belong to us and even the stories told about our rich cultures don’t even come from our own tongues,” he said.

“It’s very necessary to take ourselves through the tough process of decolonisation, stop hating everything about ourselves and our kin. Very few people know anything about civilisation in Africa before colonialism because all that priceless history was destroyed and we have so many untold stories.

“MAVARA is a platform for Africans from all the 54 countries to tell their narrative, we have so many great story tellers and so much history that needs preserving. We are starting off with launching our gallery section that features carefully curated works from painters and photographers.”

The works, Chirunga said, will also be up for sale and the artists are solely responsible for setting the price and also shipping to the required destination once a purchase has been processed.

“Besides giving our creatives a chance to showcase their work to a wider audience, we will soon be introducing language tutorials to bridge the gap between cultures,” he said.

“Our dream is to love each other and accept that although we are separated by geography, we are not strangers.

“This is not an attempt to romanticise our continent, but an opportunity for us to tell stories that are honest, wrestle with the struggles of our past while speaking of the advancements and diversities of our present.”

On how the idea of MAVARA came about, Chirunga explained: “It actually came out from a conversation I was having with my aunt about how much talent in Zimbabwe arts industry goes unnoticed, especially on a global scale. “That simple conversation led to more ideas that we could make something that not only promotes the arts, but the entire culture as a whole. That’s the story of how MAVARA was born.”

A number of prominent black artists will perform at the event in their various disciplines like music, poetry and dance.

Chirunga, who was born and raised in Harare, went to Marondera High and Prince Edward schools. He is also a social work graduate from the Women’s University in Africa. Chirunga moved to Berlin last year to pursue his career.

The city became a hotshot in the art world, and boasts a flourishing gallery scene, its own annual art fair and the Biennale exhibit of cutting-edge works.