Tackling gender, race through art
Tendai Chara
KAREN Mandiwanzira, a United Kingdom-based Zimbabwe visual artist, boasts of an impressive art catalogue.
Some of her impressive works focus on institutional racism affecting women, gender, feminism and fertility.
The 27-year-old artist’s works, which are abstract acrylic paintings and charcoal drawings, are not only breath-taking but unique and thought-provoking.
One of her paintings, “Black Fertility”, interrogates institutional racism that black women face in most parts of the world.
Mandiwanzira explained how she came up with the masterpiece.
“After mixing primary colours to create different skin tones of brown, I started by painting a black woman’s facial features in a distorted manner. This gradually migrated into thinking of masculinity . . . ” she said.
“. . . I used all the unmixed primary colours for the sperm shape to illuminate the essence of diversity within the black community. In the middle of highlighting this beautiful illusion, a dark cloud of reality lingered in my thoughts, which, in turn, made me draw a white-shaped kite engulfing the black women’s facial features.”
According to Mandiwanzira, the whiteshaped kite represents black fertility, which she said is declining among minority women who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications as compared to white women. She reckons institutionalised racism is linked to chronic stress and cardiovascular problems, which are the most common causes of pregnancy-related deaths and complications within the black community in Europe and elsewhere.
“Head wrap” is a charcoal drawing on Fabiano paper.
It focuses on feminism and self-identity. The visual artist said she enjoyed using a monochrome palette because not only did she use charcoal to depict her images, but she also used the white Fabiano paper as a highlight. This creates different dimensions from the blending and smudging techniques. According to the artist, the drawing also touches on self-identity.
“By incorporating images of myself within self-portraiture, I am representing different emotions influenced by my identity. There are times when I wear natural hair out, which evokes a sense of freedom, a closeness with nature and the natural order of the world,” Mandiwanzira said.
“Body Politics”takes a closer look at black renaissance and racism.
“This one is an abstract painting based on body politics, which is a subcomponent of the black renaissance. Depending on how the canvases are positioned, you will notice the curvaceous brush strokes which accentuates the essence of Saartjie Baartman.
“The choice of colours, which in this case is a monochrome palette and silver leaf, plays a part to the narrative of being a second-class citizen in society. The black and white acrylic paint was evoked by segregation of races, which is labelled through colours.”
Saartjie Baartman was a black South African woman who was infamously paraded around Europe because of her physical attributes.
Mandiwanzira said the painting highlights the fact that history is repeating itself.
“I couldn’t help but notice how much female bodies, specifically black female bodies, are hyper-sexualised in society and media.
“Saartjie was visually presented through violation, she was paraded around Europe because of her physical attributes to fashion.”
“The majority of Western culture is most focused on the colour of skin rather than individual characteristics and merit.”