MISHECK MASAMVU
‘I feel the need to highlight the changes we have gone through as a nation without a partisan perception. I am optimistic that the subject matter carried through in my work may not be intentionally misread, but it may cause some discomfort in sensitive circles of the society.
I have been true to myself and I do not wish to compromise or exaggerate the extent of difficulties faced by many to this day. I wish to draw attention to intellectual decisions made in the halls of financial institutions that lack the humanistic spirit.
We paid, or rather; we are still paying the price of economical bad policies implemented to sustain a political mayhem. Should we rise from this current mis-step then collectively we should be encouraged to listen to one another carefully and disagree in peace. Neither should we hold on to the expertise we have and exploit the trust of those who rely on us.’
Born in 1980 in Penhalonga, Zimbabwe, Misheck Masamvu studied art with Helen Lieros at Gallery Delta in Harare. He then went on to study at the Kunstacademie in Munich.
Masamvu questions the continent’s current trajectory by dramatically exposing psychosocial and political realities. His bold and furious brush work have been described as ‘expressionistic’ and clearly comment on the political and social ills of Zimbabwe, but ultimately his work is reflective of universal unease.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
SOLO |
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| Shame, Gallery Delta, Harare, Zimbabwe | 2009 | |
| Disputed Seats, Influx Contemporary Art, Lisbon, Portugal | 2009 | |
| Relay, Munich, Germany | 2006 | |
| Colour of Sweat, Bonn, Germany | 2006 | |
| A Naked Mind II, Gallery Delta, Harare, Zimbabwe | 2003 | |
| A Naked mind I, National Galley of Zimbabwe at Bulawayo | 2002 |
GROUP |
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| Africa 2.0 > is there a Contemporary African art? - Influx Contemporary Art, Lisbon, Portugal | 2010 | |
| Roots - Gallery Delta, Harare, Zimbabwe | 2010 | |
| Africa 53 - The United Kingdom | 2009 | |
| Gallery 23, Amsterdam, the Netherlands | 2009 | |
| Art Migration and Identity - Africa Museum, CBK, Arnhem, Netherlands | 2008 | |
| Hidden Stories - Grote Kerk, Haarlem, the Netherlands | 2008 | |
| Many Rivers to Cross - Cafe Gallery, London, UK | 2008 | |
| "696" - National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe | 2008 | |
| Hidden Stories - Haarlem, The Netherlands | 2008 | |
| Art, Migration and Identity - Arnhem, The Netherlands | 2008 | |
| Dak’Art Biennale, Dakar, Senegal | 2006 | |
| Relay - Munich, Germany | 2006 | |
| Other Dimensions - Gallery Delta, Harare | 2005 | |
| Small Works -Gallery Delta, Harare | 2005 | |
| New Directions in Zimbabwean Contemporary Painting -Gallery Delta | 2004 | |
| Legacy - Munich, Germany | 2004 | |
| Olympiad -Gallery Delta | 2003 | |
| The Summer Exhibition -Gallery Delta, Harare | 2002 | |
| Healthy Mind, Healthy Body - 2004 Olympics, Athens Greece | 2002-4 | |
| Africa Exhibit - Munich, Germany | 2001 | |
| Colours Africa - Munich, Germany | 2000 | |
| Colourfields Africa,’ Gallery Delta, Harare | 2000 |
AWARDS
| Three month Residency Program, Thamgidi Studio Foundation, the Netherlands | 2008 | |
| One month Residency Program, Thamgidi Studio foundation, The Netherlands | 2007 | |
| Kunst Akademie Muchen, Germany, full KAAD scholarship recipient | 2005-7 |
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Gallery Publications Magazine no. 30, Harare, Zimbabwe |
