Kudzi

In tender collaged canvases, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami abstracts the contexts of her friends and family – an allegory for identities displaced, or otherwise fragmented.

Kudzi started as a digital collage of the artist’s cousin. Printed, painted on and then faithfully recreated in 17 silkscreen layers.  Glossy swathes of colour obscure a halftone-modulated, monochromatic underprint. These innovative techniques – born of close collaboration with artisan printmakers in London – echo the rich, multimedia surfaces of Hwami’s original paintings.

“Here stands a shy, joyous Zimbabwean young man free from realities facing LGBTQ people in Southern Africa.”

The artwork encompasses a collaboration between Hwami, Avant Arte and Queercircle. From September 15, Kudzi will be installed in Queercircle’s reading room alongside a curated selection of queer literature. Visit the accompanying journal to learn more, and for the chance win an artist’s proof!