ZACH MUKWIRA

Zach Mukwira, b.1968 in Makonde, Zimbabwe, has developed an artistic practice rooted in narrative expression. His family’s migration from Mozambique to Zimbabwe, driven by civil unrest, informs his work, which consistently communicates a profound aspiration for peace and harmonious coexistence. Mukwira’s art reinterprets cultural traditions through a contemporary lens, skilfully blending colour, design, and pattern to illustrate imaginative fables.

Mother and Child draws on traditional nativity iconography, featuring a maternal figure protecting her child. Surrounding the pair are foliar and floral motifs, while the child is portrayed as a plant emerging from a stem, with leaves as limbs. The face of the child adopts a sun-like appearance, radiating from a golden background and gazing outward with blue eyes. The mother is wrapped in a shawl adorned with floral star-like forms, her hands resting at her sides. Both figures meet the viewer’s gaze, with the mother’s expression introducing a subtle tension amidst the otherwise harmonious composition. The artwork highlights a notable contrast between the stillness of the figures and the lively, rhythmic use of colour and pattern that envelops them.