Visual artist gets recognition
A VISUAL artist, Tinotenda Mabasa, has won recognition for his outstanding pieces that vividly tell the Zimbabwean story, in line with Vision 2030 and the “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo”, mantra.
His pieces are rare but clearly in the Brick by Brick mode and Second Republic’s national vision.
The Ministry of Skills Audit and Development took a lot of interest in Mabasa’s art at the official opening of Skug Barn Creative hub in Mt Pleasant, recently.
The recognition comes at a time the Ministry is scouting for people with talent in various areas as part of its bid to foster development from all fronts.
Mabasa and his friend David Toppa are visual and fine artists respectively, whose work has won recognition and appreciation locally, regionally and internationally.
Visual arts focus on canvas, paintings and other things used for display in the house while fine arts involve graphic designing and realism portraits.
In an interview, Mabasa who trades under the name “Mushroom Kingdom” said artists are a vital cog in the development of the country insisting he was following the “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo” mantra from an artistic angle.
Mabasa pledged to upscale the visual arts dimension to another level after he fused fashion designing with banner and wall paintings, which is not common in the arts industry.
“I have managed to build up a better portfolio with a better foundation now. I opened my own studio in Avondale where I’m working with my partner an artist as well, Toppa,” said Mabasa.
“Artists are a vital component in the development of our country, we cannot be left out, and as we do our works we also toe the lane on the national goals and aspirations of our leadership to foster development,” said Mabasa.
“What I can say is that we are very happy for the recognition that we are getting from the Government through the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development. They promised to work with and we also unveiled our strategies to move around all towns doing our designs and works together with my friend.
“And currently me and him are working on a huge wall painting in Mount Pleasant at this new creative hub and the venue will be used as a space for exhibition, studio and events. We are very happy because we are also resident artists at this special venue,” he said.
Mabasa said together with his partner they are using different techniques to upgrade the visual and fine arts dimension, adding the combination complements each other to enhance their artefacts in line with the national question.
Skug Burn is a new creative hub founded by Nomvula Mhambi for the purposes of launching artists including musicians, visual and fine artists, photographers, dancers and sculptors as well as many others into arts.
“It’s an opportunity that opened for us to show case our talent and we are taking advantage of that opportunity to expand and upscale our space. We started with portraits that are displayed at the front of the venue and these are the same paintings that were published by the Ministry,” he said.
Mabasa also designs shoes, hats, T-shirts and other clothing material through painting.
“This is what distinguishes me from other artists. I use fashion to showcase my talent without having to wait in the gallery. I decided to take the art out of the gallery into the everyday lives of the people. It was as if I had come up with a new fashion brand. This was around late 2019 when I started this.”
In 2020 Mabasa participated in the biggest world exhibition show in Cape Town and became one of the award winners.
“My works try to appreciate what we have as Africans in our society, that’s why I delved dipper into fashion designs.
He recognised the power of imagination, adding that before coming up with something, it started from imagination.
“In the near future I’m going to unleash something unusual that the world will think maybe I’m crazy.”