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Sep 19
December 15, 2019
Solo exhibition

Kudzanai-Violet Hwami: (15,952km) via Trans-Sahara Hwy N1

Multiple locations

Gasworks
London, England
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Gasworks presents (15,952km) via Trans-Sahara Hwy N1, the first institutional solo exhibition by London-based artist Kudzanai-Violet Hwami. Born in Zimbabwe, Hwami left her homeland at the age of nine amidst political turmoil. Drawing on personal experiences of geographical dislocation and displacement, her intensely pigmented paintings combine visual fragments from a myriad of sources such as online images and haunting family photographs, which collapse past and present into bold afro-futuristic visions.While memories and visions of childhood in Zimbabwe have dominated her work to date, Gasworks’ exhibition bears testimony to her desire to reconnect with her country of origin, combining found images with pictures taken during a recent visit that forced her to confront her romantic notions of belonging and rootedness.Looking for a way to immerse herself in present day Zimbabwe, Hwami spent a month at Dzimbanhete, an artist run space in the outskirts of Harare, and lived with a traditional healer. However, instead of gaining the spiritual connection she was seeking, this experience made her feel removed and 'othered’ by the inability to fully embed herself in the context she calls home.   Read More

Artist Biography

Kudzanai-Violet Hwamiis a London-based artist born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. She is represented by Tyburn Gallery. Recent exhibitions include: The Zimbabwe Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, 2019; Les Ateliers de Rennes–Biennale d’Art Contemporain, Rennes; Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town; Triangle France, Marseille; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London; Espace Art Absolument, Paris; Fondation Clément, Martinique (all 2018); National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare; Tyburn Gallery, London (all 2017). In 2016, the same year she graduated from college, Hwami was awarded the Clyde & Co Award and the Young Achiever of the Year Award at the Zimbabwean International Women’s Awards, as well as featured in Bloomberg New Contemporaries.

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