Q&A with artist Tafadzwa Gwetai
Zimbabwean Tafadzwa Gwetai is a painter, sculptor and curator gaining acclaim on the African art scene. He is also Afro-positive and his enthusiasm is contagious.
CA: How did you become an artist?
TG: I discovered my love for art when I read about Mozambican and Zimbabwean artists like Luis Meque, Keston Beaton and Tapfuma Gutsa. I could relate to their issues as Africans. Their creativity and bravado caught my attention and influenced my line of thought.
CA: Which of your many art forms is your true passion?
TG: I love found object art, which redefines the purpose and meaning of everyday things. It keeps me constantly aware of the objects around me.
CA: How much of an appetite for art is there in your local community?
TG: African art has been setting global trends for a while but is finally getting some credit. In Zim, there has been an increase in art studies at schools and universities and we’re seeing a gradual shift towards more art appreciation in the urban and investor communities. However, there’s still a way to go until the average guy on the street can engage, as many are focused on basic survival and consider art to be a luxury.
CA: What is the most exciting thing about being an African artist today?
TG: Artists subconsciously fight battles that are relevant to their context. Our human and African identity exists in a digital era that places our existence in an uncertain balance. When things are uncertain, the artist will be on the edge of his seat, viewing his world as it evolves with great apprehension but also fascination.
CA: What inspires you?
TG: Issues of existentialist philosophy. I look for inspiration in people and the contexts they exist in. My subject matter has always been human beings and how they embrace or reject modernity in relation to technology. I am also forever inspired by my late sister, the author Yvonne Vera, who was constantly exploring ‘the African’ and finding beautiful words to express their condition.
CA: Your greatest achievement?
TG: Being recognised as an ‘artist’ is my greatest achievement. Also being selected as assistant curator at the 56th Biennale in Venice 2015, as well as working with Raphael Chikukwa, the curator of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
CA: What is your biggest hope for your work?
TG: To have it understood. Every artist’s dream is to not work in vain. There is a constant desire to be heard and deciphered.
Words by Emily Pettit-Coetzee
Images – Art Eye and Tafadzwa Gwetai
