THE air in Domboshava was thick with colour, conversation and quiet rebellion on Saturday January 17 as female visual artists etched history by staging the first-ever women-led vernissage at the ArtGal-Zim Center, a rural creative hub redefining Zimbabwe’s contemporary art narrative.
The landmark exhibition brought together powerful feminine voices whose works challenged cultural taboos, reclaimed symbolism and celebrated womanhood in all its complexity.
Female creatives hailed the vernissage as a long-overdue platform that affirmed their presence in spaces traditionally dominated by male voices and urban galleries.
The exhibition showcased deeply personal and socially charged works that explored identity, belonging, transformation and resilience, drawing strong engagement from artists, collectors, community members and cultural practitioners.
Visual artist Florah Maposa described the moment as deeply affirming.
“Yesterday’s vernissage was a dream come true. As a female artist from Zimbabwe, it felt powerful to share my work in a space that celebrates our stories,” she said, noting that the rural growth point setting which is just close to Mverechena bus stop added emotional depth to the experience.
Her works boldly interrogated cultural fear and empowerment through animal symbolism.
Maposa’s Koronayedatya (Frog Crown), executed in acrylic and oil on canvas, split a woman’s face into contrasting purple and pink halves, crowned by a green frog symbolising fertility, renewal and creative force.
The piece invited viewers to reflect on balance, transformation and the generative power of women.
Her companion work, Chameleon Crown, challenged inherited fears by elevating the often-misunderstood chameleon into a regal emblem of adaptability and
courage.
In Lizards Embrace, Maposa again subverted cultural anxiety by portraying a brightly coloured lizard as a symbol of intuition and resilience.
Set against a dreamlike turquoise background, the work encouraged viewers to reimagine taboo symbols as sources of strength and
renewal.
Veteran fine artist Roselyne Marikasi, with over 30 years of experience, presented emotionally layered paintings chronicling displacement, return and womanhood.
Her acrylic work Longing to Belong drew from her lived experience after returning to Zimbabwe in 2018 having spent 16 years in the United States.
“I struggled to fit in and this painting chronicles that experience,” she explained.
Her 2025 work, My Predicament, further explored the difficult realities women face.
The painting speaks to moments when women are forced by circumstance to make painful and life-altering decisions, offering a raw reflection of social pressure and survival.
Artists also praised ArtGal-Zim founder and visual artist Keith Zenda for his exemplary commitment to rural art development.
Zenda was commended for promoting cultural heritage, gender-responsive narratives and inclusive creative spaces outside urban centres.
His dedication to teaching and training in visual arts was described as a practical response to employment creation, youth empowerment and positive social behaviour change.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style, Zenda said the vernissage stood not just as an exhibition, but as a statement and proof that rural spaces can host bold, progressive art conversations led by women shaping Zimbabwe’s cultural future.
“This is only the beginning and we wish to launch and officially open the ArtGal-Zim Center on March 8,” he said.
“The female vernissage is still open for viewership only through invitation and appointment.”
