Sep 9, 20221 min read

Featured Artist of The Week: Takudzwa Chandiwana!

"Born in Harare, Zimbabwe (1998), Takudzwa is currently based in the West Midlands (UK).

Using various media such as stitch, print, paint and charcoal, Takudzwa tries to facilitate a constant dynamic of dismantling and a reconstruction of material and form. From the deconstruction of the figure through mark making, creating forms disjoined and unsettled against the monochromatic, still yet fleeting presence of the print, to the construction of a physical object that has a material presence and density. The print-paint pieces she creates feel as though they are always in flux. This ultimately creates a space of ambiguity. It’s within this ambiguity that meaning can be discovered. Here, Takudzwa explores the different facets of gender and cultural identity. Interwoven within her works are an interrogation of how blackness and femininity are seen, defined and validated within white spaces. It’s within these spaces that violence often manifests itself as a key element in displacing black people and what identity means for them. Subsequently, Takudzwa incorporates an ethics of care within her practice and focuses on healing."

Selected artwork: