Five Bhobh – Painting at the End of an Era curated by Tandazani Dhlakama.
September 12, 2018 - March 31, 2019
Three Africa First artists participate in Zeitz MOCCA Exhibition Five Bhobh – Painting at the End of an Era. Troy Makaza, Wallen Mapondera, and Helen Teede are featured in the exhibition of contemporary painting from Zimbabwe, featuring twenty-nine artists - in various ways they mark the end of an era, offering foresight into an alternative dispensation.
Works included are:
Troy Makaza, Today's Problems, 2017.
Wallen Mapondera, Musha Waparara, 2018.
Helen Teede, Uprooting, 2017.
Five Bhobh (pronounced “five bob”) is the average fare needed to journey locally by kombi (minibus) in Zimbabwe. As soon as you are crammed in, four in each row, the conductor will announce “Five bhobh!” or “Two pa dollar!” You may hear the tinkling of coins being collected and observe lower denominations of notes unfolding from sweaty palms, pockets and blouses. Monotonously shoulders in the front rows are tapped as money is moved forward and change is negotiated until it reaches the hwindi (bus conductor). By then the engine is roaring and the driver is negotiating his exit from the bustling terminus. Passengers may begin to converse. Matters of everyday life in Zimbabwe are discussed always in codes with a diverse array of figurative language. They have paid their dues, invested in the future, and are waiting expectantly to move forward.
Read more about the exhibition here.
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