Oscillating between abstraction and figuration, Misheck Masamvuʼs works allow him to address the past while searching for a way of being in the world. His layered painted surfaces and brushstrokes, which are almost visceral, exist as remnants of the physical act of painting giving the sense that multiple temporalities have been included in one picture plane. Beneath the surface of a painted image, an infinity of others exist. Through abstraction, Masamvuʼs figures appear in the midst of metamorphosis, absorbed by teeming landscapes.

Masamvu created these paintings during the global lockdowns. Forced immobility created internal conflicts which are expressed in the works. The canvasses appear to convulse, as if caught in the act of mutation. This act of synchronous change and entanglement is evident through the extensive use of line and weaving together of brilliant colour. The result is images that are not immediately apparent, rather cloaked in layers of camouflage that invite the viewer to drum out images in their own mind. The lack of exacting definition from Masamvuʼs expressive mark making establishes an honest conversation between the artist and the viewer, an invitation to experience his shifting visual lexicon, and a prompt to delve into Masamvuʼs own personal layers of history. Collectively, this pushes the viewer to become conscious of their own conflicts.

Recent presentations include Masamvuʼs solo exhibition at Goodman Gallery London, titled Talk to me while Iʼm eating (2021; UK), as well as his participation in Allied with Power at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (USA) and the 22nd Biennale of Sydney (Australia), titled NIRIN, curated by Brook Andrew in 2020. The artist has also represented Zimbabwe at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011; Italy).

Selected Works & Awards

2021

Talk to me while I’m eatingI (solo), Goodman Gallery London, UK

2020

Allied with Power, Pérez Art Museum Miami, USA

2020

22nd Biennale of Sydney, NIRIN, Australia

2021

54th Venice Biennale, represented Zimbabwe, Italy

Exhibition

• Installation view at Aichi Triennale 2022
• Photo: ToLoLo studio