Veteran academic and author Charles Pfukwa has called for “the indigenisation of the local art space”, a multi-million dollar industry which in recent years has gone underground and is now dominated by wheeler-dealers.
He said colonial players and Western cartels continue to “mine” local artistic talent and productions “and monetise them out there (on the global scene) for a fortune, while the artists get a pittance and endure slave wages”.
“We need to own our creations and sell them at our own terms just as we do with gold whose price is determined by the global bullion market,” Pfukwa told The Standard on the sidelines of this year’s graduation ceremony at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) last Thursday.
The arts sector has been battered by a tumultuous two-decade period — mainly triggered by an economic blockade by the major source markets, Europe and the United States, and a volatile economic environment in the country — leaving the sector at the mercy of collectors and cartels, who buy local art for a song and resell it for a huge profit.
Consequently, various art spaces have either scaled down production or shut down completely due to the resultant collapse in tourism andeconomic pressures.
Places such as Gallery Delta, Book Café and Mannenberg art spaces and Soma Art Gallery, among others, have closed down or ceased operations due to the economic meltdown that buffeted the country from the noughties to date.
“So the concept is that let’s create our own art and let’s determine what price we sell it to the world,” Pfukwa, who was of late the dean in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Bindura University of Science Education, said.
However, speaking at the occasion as guest of honour, Pfukwa challenged the graduands to take their craft seriously, “ not merely as a decoration, but a declaration of an embodiment of resistance and therapy for healing”.
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“Let your art speak truth, challenge norms, celebrate beauty and confront injustice — let it be a voice for those who cannot speak.”
Ten students graduated with a Certificate in Fine Arts offered by the School of Visual Arts and Design this year. The school was founded in the 1980s and used to be called the BAT Visual Art Studios.
Household names such Tapfuma Gutsa, Chiko Chazunguza, Virginia Chihota, Portia Zvavahera, Gareth Nyandoro, to name a few, have come through this school.
NGZ executive director Raphael Chikukwa said the gallery would be availing studios such as the Tengenenge Arts Centre in Guruve for the graduandsso they can “continue with their artistic pursuits, because when they go back home they won’t have space to work from”.
He said this was a two-year programme of the 2023-24 class and those who had graduated were the best out their class.
“I’m impressed by the work I have seen today. The graduands today are ready for the art market given the work they have produced thus far.”
“We will keep supporting them by continuously bringing them for more exhibitions at our galleries here in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare.”
He added that he was also impressed that one of the graduands,Tafadzwa Chataika, is a grandson of the late legendary gospel artist Gordon Chataika.
The graduandsuse various art forms --- from mixed media, ink on drill, oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas to wire and everyday objects.
