The Creative Duo
Known as Mutasa brothers are Zimbabwean multimedia artists, sculptors who work with all sorts of materials including bronze, wood,metal,stone and glass to create and express spiritual,emotional,religious and cultural truths
Cultures or cultural values, which are artistically transcribed constructively to create artworks based on their collective beliefs. Their work which is omnipresent at multiple levels in every human behavior and interaction, including in the sphere of religion. The brothers has refined their art as a cultural system of symbols, which establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations and naturalized conceptions of a general order of existence.
Mutasa brothers have won numerous awards and accolades , and have exhibited locally and internationally.
In 2007 the Mutasa brothers founded the Domboramwari Art Village based in Harare Zimbabwe, after having been awarded funding from an International NGO seeking to showcase the vibrant Zimbabwean Art scene.
Domboramwari Art Village has established itself as a leading Zimbabwean Art Centre promoting visual, musical and performing arts through workshops and artists residency programs. Many European artists have been in residence at the Art Village and have added to the immense diversity of the Art project.
This leading African Art Village, one of the first of its kind in Zimbabwe has promoted an environment to encourage leading African artists to expand their horizons in all art disciplines, many young Artists have had their souls freed and immerse themselves in the cultural diversity of Africa and as a result produced a plethora of incredible art.
Artists from varied cultural backgrounds have been rewarded from their time at the Village whereby artists collaborate with other artists therein disseminating and catalysing their creative juices .
Domboramwari Art Village Is a member of The Triangle Network, formally known as the Triangle Arts Trust, is an international arts organisation that brings together artists from different countries to explore new ideas and expand the boundaries of their practice. It was initiated through a series of artists' workshops providing an uninterrupted period of two weeks where 20–25 artists from diverse cultural backgrounds engage with each other, to explore new ideas and expand the boundaries of their practice. The Triangle Network is organised as a network of artists, visual art organisations, and artists-led workshops. It currently is active in over 30 countries. Each centre within the Network is independent and set up to respond to local needs. The object of the workshops is "to counterbalance the tendency of the Western art world to put the emphasis on the object and its marketing rather than on the creative process itself".
Mutasa Family
Chenjerai Mutasa (born 1972) and Mambakwedza Mutasa (born 1974) in Highfield, Harare, studied at the Peter Birch School of Art from 1989 to 1990 before furthering their education at the B.A.T. Visual Art School in Zimbabwe from 1991 to 1994, where they majored in multimedia art.
EXHIBITIONS
> ▪ Zimbabwe Heritage 1991-1999
> ▪ Delta Gallery 1993-2003
> ▪ AIDS Exhibition, Australia 1997
> ▪ J.Lathan Gallery, Oakland CA, America 1998 -2000
> ▪ Kuona Workshop, Kenya 1999
> ▪ Zvakanaka, Holland 1999
> ▪ Sarenco Gallery, Italy 2000
> ▪ Group exhibition at National Gallery of Zimbabwe, 2000
> ▪ Inner space, Harare, Zimbabwe 2000
> ▪ Sufhouse Gallery, Canada 2002
> ▪ Steve Gallery, America 2001 -2003
> ▪ Miller Gallery, Spain 2003
> ▪ Batapata National Gallery of Zimbabwe 2003
> ▪ Baraka (Mutasa show) National Gallery of Zimbabwe 2004
> ▪ Arthaus ,Ghana ,2004
> ▪ Insaka,Zambia, 2004
> ▪ Harare Biennale, Zimbabwe,2004
> ▪ HIFA, Zimbabwe 2005
> ▪ DAKAR,Senegal 2006
> ▪ Greatmore Studio, South Africa.2006
> ▪ Greatmore Studio, South Africa.2007
> ▪ Everard Read Gallery South Africa 2007
> ▪ Transcape ,South Africa 2007
> ▪ AVA,3 Cs 2007
> ▪ Domboramwari Art Village, Zimbabwe 2007
> ▪ Art Enclosure 2008, Venice, Italy
AWARDS AND GRANTS
> 1994 Highly commended for Graphic Art (National Gallery of Zimbabwe, N.G.Z)
> 1994 Award of Merit for Metal (Weldart) (N.G.Z)
> 1996 Award of Merit for Painting (N.G.Z)
> 1996 Highly commended for Weldart (N.G.Z)
> 1996 Award of Merit for Weldart (N.G.Z)
> 1997 Award of Merit for Weldart (N.G.Z)
> 1998 High commendation (N.G.Z)
-1998 -Award of distinction
(National Gallery of Zimbabwe
> 1999 Award Grant {Elizabeth Greensheilds, Canada}
> 2001 Commonwealth Award {London}
> 2002 Award grant {Elizabeth Greensheild, Canada}
> 2005 Award grant {Elizabeth Greensheild, Canada}
WORKSHOPS AND RESIDENCE
> Jan 1999 Kuona Workshop Kenya
> Feb. 1999 Solo Workshop at Zvakanaka Gallery (Holland)
> Sept. 1999 Batapata International Artists Workshop, Mutare, Zimbabwe
> April 2001 Awarded Commonwealth Scholarship Award to Canada
> Nov 2003 Batapata International Artist Workshop, Boulton Atlantica, Zimbabwe
> March 2004 Arthaus international workshop, Ghana
> April 2004 Insaka International workshop, Zambia
> May 2006 Greatmore Studio, South Africa
> March 2007 Greatmore Studio Cape Town, South Africa
> Sep 2008 Art Enclosure, Venice, Italy
SELECTED ARTICLES FEATURING MUTUSA BROTHER'S ART
1994 Herald Art Review
1994 Zimbabwe Heritage 94 Catalogue (NGZ)
1995 Delta Gallery art magazine No.2
1996 Zimbabwe Heritage 96 Catalogue (NGZ)
1997 Zimbabwe Heritage 97 Catalogue
1997 Decade of award winners catalogue
1998 Delta Gallery art magazine No.12
1999 The Chronicle-art review Nov 18
1999 Tubantia Newspaper Holland 8 July
2000 Enrico Mascellanie Sarenco Art Magazine
2002 Commonwealth Awards Catalogue
2003 Batapata artists workshop catalogue
2004 Harare Biennale 2004
2004-25-year Sliver Jubilee Art catalogue
2005 Zimbabwe Stone Sculpture. Compiled by Doreen Sibanda
2006 Dakarart Biennale 2006
2006 Greatmore Studio 2006
2007 Greatmore Studio 2007
2007 TransCape , Cape Town South Africa
2010-2016 Heaven Center, Houtbay, Cape Town
2019-2023 Silo Gallery, Switzerland
2022-2023 Youngblood Gallery, Cape Town