Mazarire redefines space in new exhibition
Arts & Lifestyle

Mazarire redefines space in new exhibition

Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions will present Munyaradzi Mazarire’s “Redefining Space”, an exhibition of his recent works, which consists of 3D pieces. This exhibition opens this Friday at 5:45 pm at DAI Gallery on Bulawayo Road, Lion and Cheetah Park turn off. Munya, a present absentee as he describes himself, is soft-spoken yet his words are full of anecdotes, satire, allegory and humour, making him an active observer – “chiringa”, in Shona, yet in a positive and empowering way.

Without “chiringa” it is virtually impossible to be a visual artist and Munya capitalises on this ability. Growing up we were constantly told not to have chiringa, because elders simply want to move on, yet being born with an insight to observe and analyse the visual world, is a joy one can never put down.

Munya’s work is very refreshing and a pleasure to look at and yet it has a hypnotic appeal, which impacts on the way one looks at objects around them.

Like a “visual scientist”, he breaks down the overly simplified visual world, investigating what we see in our very day world as though to teach us how to see objects as they are subtly deformed by natural perspective.

He brings the presence of the natural 3D, while making it feel like it is appearing on a 2D surface, challenging us: as to what we actually see versus what we think we see.

In his words he says: “I try and shift the vertical plane into a horizontal plane”.

A pure draftsman who chooses to use his abilities in an expressive way, Munya touches on everyday objects while presenting them in a satirical and humorous manner, for example his “Open Window 3” and “Open Window 4”, which are to the eye; full 3D realistic windows which are presented in a view that renders them open; causing the viewer’s eyes and our brain to enter an unspoken dialogue on reality and illusion.

He uses layers of newspaper cuttings to create “Empty Promises”, a suitcase well laid in a persuasive visual perspective; again a parody of what we may see as truth versus physical reality.

He uses objects to draw in his triptych “Landscape” rather than conventional drawing medium. The frames in these three cease to be elements of visual closure but physical supporters of what we see inside the frame, without which everything would fall apart.

Probably a metaphor for all, which is virtually supported by a voluntary or imposed framework, without which everything falls into unrelated, dysfunctional individual and less meaningful elements.

 

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