Tega Tafadzwa
The dichotomy of the diaspora experience and socio-political displacement is a powerful theme in Zimbabwean-born artist Tafadzwa Tega’s poignant and deeply arresting works. Tega descends from a long line of artists and thanks to a series of successful shows in recent years in South Africa, Miami and Switzerland, his vibrant pieces have captured the imagination of collectors across the African continent and further afield.
Under Tega’s direction, his subjects - inspired by his fellow ex-pat Zimbabweans and based somewhat on his own experiences as an immigrant, take center stage. Adopting somewhat theatrical poses – emphasising a sense of grandiosity despite the challenges of being strangers in their unfamiliar surroundings. His works convey the admiration he has for his fellow displaced countrymen and women who are faced with conflicting emotions, the joy of new possibilities and the longing for what has been left behind. His canvasses and indeed his subjects are flamboyantly dressed in a riot of colour, demanding attention and garnering empathy for their bravado, given their challenges.
Each works background pays homage to Tega’s deep sense of self – as a Zimbabwean and a son of African soil. A wallpaper of Zumbani (the tea leaf from the fever tree) is a graphic curtain that reflects his connection to the traditional plant, long used in his home country as a medicinal aid for daily ills. This reference is a powerful showcase of how Tega straddles both his future and his past in each piece – and regards it as a profound talisman for the unknown journey ahead.
COUNTRY • ZIMBABWE
MEDIUM • ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
FIRST EXHIBITION WITH CHRISTOPHER MOLLER GALLERY • 2022
EXPLORE HIS WORK
Previous exhibitions by Tega tafadzwa
2023
FNB JOHANNESBURG ART FAIR, Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa. CHISI HACHIERI MUSA WACHARIMWA - A SEED WIIL GROW. Everard Read, Johannesburg, South Africa.
2022
AUTUMN IS FRESH, Christopher Moller Gallery, Cape Town, (June) – Group exhibition. INVESTEC CAPE TOWN ART FAIR, Mimmo Scognamiglio Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa. MILANO ART FAIR, Mimmo Scognamiglio Gallery, Italy. PAKUTSVAGA, Gordon Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel.
2021
HARARE DREAM, Foreign Agent, Lausanne, Switzerland - Solo Exhibition. A VERY LOOP STREET SUMMER, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa – Group Exhibition. 8x8, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa – Group Exhibition. ART MIAMI, Mimmo Scognamiglio / Placido, Miami, United States of America. DALLAS ART FAIR, Mimmo Scognamiglio / Placido, Dallas Texas, United States of America. FNB ART JOBURG ART FAIR, Open City: Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt, Johannesburg, South Africa. 1-54 LONDON, Foreign Agent, London, United Kingdom. INVESTEC CAPE TOWN ART FAIR, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa.
2019
AFRICA WITHOUT BORDERS, Gallery MOMO, Cape Town, South Africa – Solo Exhibition.
#RECESS, Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg, South Africa – Group Exhibition. URBAN ARCHEOLOGY, Daor Contemporary, Cape Town, South Africa – Group Exhibition. NANDO’S CREATIVE EXCHANGE, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa – Group Exhibition. FNB JOBURG ART FAIR, Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg, South Africa.
2014
AFRICA WITHOUT BORDERS, World Art, Cape Town, South Africa.
2012
ADOLF TEGA, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa.