A solo exhibition by one of Zimbabwes renowned artists, Tapfuma Gutsa, recently opened at Harare Polytechnic College.
The week-long exhibition which runs under the theme, Mulonga: Deep Waters and Starry Skies ends on Saturday.
Mulonga is a Tonga word meaning the river. The exhibition draws its inspiration from people of Tonga nation and their artefacts and features some of the latest artworks by Gutsa.
It explores how Tonga people relate to the river and various activities they do near or in the water. Gutsas pieces include jewels made using designs that relate to the Tongas and other art form that exhibit his versatility.
He designed some beautiful garments that were showcased by models at the opening ceremony. Entertainment at the ceremony came from mbira songstress Hope Masike who serenaded the audiences with her soothing mbira vibes.
Curator of the exhibition, Calvin Chimutuwah, praised Gutsa for exploring various aspects of life through the exhibition. Gutsa has great interest in Tonga artists as well as their artefacts.
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The Tonga people are the river people. They relate much to the river and that is the prominent element in the artifacts, said Chimutuwah.
The showcase marks Gutsas first major show at Harare Polytechnic College since his appointment as a resident artist at the tertiary institution in November 2010.
Gutsa is also working on various projects with young artists at the college in a bid to put them on the spotlight.
The artist has vast experience that stretches to his first days at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in the early 1980s.
As a young boy, he worked with the old masters of the first generation of artists.
He then studied art in London from 1982 to 1985 before launching a highly successful career that saw him exhibiting in countries like Australia, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Senegal and Namibia, among many others.
He mainly focused on stone, wood and metal sculpture, and broadened his genre with other spectacular multi-media designs.