Kudzanai Chiurai
Kudzanai Chiurai | |
---|---|
Born |
1981 (age 34–35) Harare, Zimbabwe |
Nationality | Zimbabwean |
Alma mater | University of Pretoria |
Known for | painting, drawing, film, sculpture, photographs |
Notable work | Graceland, Since 1990, Fela, Iyeza |
Style | mixed media |
Kudzanai Chiurai (born 1981) is a Zimbabwean artist and activist. His repertoire of art combines the use of mixed media to address and tackle social, political and cultural issues in Zimbabwe.[1] His works has been exhibited in notable museums around the world, with Forbes listing him among "Thirteen Africans To Watch In 2013".[2]
Life and career
Chiurai was born in 1981 in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, but spent most of his later years in South Africa where he became the first black student to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art from the University of Pretoria.[3]
He started his career by painting landscapes and portraits until he left his country for South Africa where he developed interest in using art as a form of activism.[4] In 2004, Chiurai went on an self-imposed exile after he received arrest threats following his exhibition of Rau Rau and the Battle of Zimbabwe, two controversial artworks that depicted Robert Mugabe as a demonic figure during the build-up to the 2008 Zimbabwean general election.[5] Since his solo exhibition in 20103, his artworks has been exhibited in several museums including the Museum of Modern Art, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Victoria and Albert Museum and documenta. In 2012, his short still film Iyeza was screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.[2]
Art market
Several of his works has been sold in the art market including his painting Fried Chicken which sold for $9,447 at Stephan Welz & Co., Cape Town 'Decorative & Fine Arts' in 2013.[6]
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
- 2016 – Kabbo Ka Muwala/ The Girl’s Basket, National Gallery of Zimbabwe
- 2015 – Selections From Revelations, Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts, Brooklyn
- 2013 – 16SNLV, Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2011 – State of the Nation, Goodman Gallery project space, Arts on Main, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2010 – Communists and hot chicken wings: the birth of a new nation, Goodman Gallery project space, Arts on Main, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2009 – Dying To Be Men, Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2008 – Yellow Lines, Obert Contemporary, Johannesburg
- 2007 – Graceland, Obert Contemporary, Johannesburg
- 2005 – Y Propaganda, Obert Contemporary, Johannesburg
- 2004 – Correction: The Revolution Will Be Televised, Obert Contemporary, Johannesburg
- 2003 – The revolution will not be televised, Brixton Art Gallery, London
Group exhibitions
- 2012
- dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel, Germany
- 2011
- Art Basel: Miami Beach, Miami, Florida, USA
- Figures & Fictions: Contemporary South African Photograph, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
- über(W)unden – Art in troubled times, Goethe- Institut South Africa
- Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now, Museum of Modern Art in New York
- 2010
- Cairo Biennale, Cairo, Egypt
- Its greener on the other side, Co-op, Johannesburg, South Africa
- In other words, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Photo Ireland festival, Dublin, Ireland
- SPace, Museum Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
- For those that live in it, MU, Netherlands
- 2009
- ParisPhoto Exhibition, Paris, France
- Us, Johannesburg Art Gallery
- Armory Show, Goodman Gallery, New York
- Joburg Art Fair, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
- Nation State, Goodman Gallery Cape Town and Johannesburg
- 2008
- Melbourne Stencil Festival, Melbourne, Australia
- Africa Now, Round Tower, Copenhagen; Northern Norway Art Centre, Lofoten, Norway; and Tampere art museum, Finland
- 2006
- Dak’art, Dakar, Senegal New Painting, KZNSA, Durban
- 2005
- Melrose Art, Obert Contemporary
- Reconciliation, University of Pretoria
References
- ↑ "Kudzanai Chiurai / State of the Nation / 2011". Goodman Gallery. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- 1 2 Nsehe, Mfonobong (30 December 2012). "Thirteen African Celebrities To Watch In 2013". Forbes. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ↑ Mabuse, Nkepile (12 July 2012). "Kudzanai Chiurai: The artist who stood up to Mugabe". CNN. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ↑ Harding, Andrew (24 October 2011). "Zimbabwe's Kudzanai Chiurai: Can art change Africa?". BBC. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ↑ Stielau, Anna. "Kudzanai Chiurai". artThrob. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ↑ "Kudzanai Chiurai". Mutual Art. Retrieved 5 July 2016.