This article is a perfect opportunity to make one thing clear – Mcheno And More is not just a fashion publication. Otherwise we’d have just been called Mcheno.
Our focus transcends fashion (and its plenty subgenres) and art (and its many forms) to make us more of a culture publication.
Most imagine culture as a static, stuck-in-the-past concept. No! Culture is dynamic, it evolves with its people, generation to generation.
And this is why it is essential to document culture.
Our present should be constantly and consistently captured, for use as a reference point in the future and more importantly – for a better understanding of our ever-expanding past. You can’t see where you’re going if you don’t understand where you’re coming from.
To add to the tireless work we are already doing as a publication, it is an honour to introduce a new column called Artist Avenue – our documentation of Zimbabwe’s vast visual arts scene.
In classic question and answer format, Artist Avenue will spotlight the visual artists that have made today possible, the stars of our time; and the prodigies that will keep Zimbabwean art alive in the future.
For the first ever ‘Artist Avenue’, we sat down with an unheralded but extremely gifted visual artist who goes by the alias Shiriyashe.
As this conversation and his yet to be exhibited artworks will reveal, this Kwekwe-born artist’s creative approach is a complete departure from how Zimbabwean art has been created in the past half century. Enjoy!
Hie, how are you can you introduce yourself where are you from and how that does affect your work
I’m Tinashe Madzivanyika, but most of my friends call me Shiriyashe, or Yashe for short. I’m from Kwekwe and I’m turning 30 in October. I can say my creative journey started in 2016, when I picked up photography as a self-taught hobby which later turned into a passion, and briefly a career.
I started creating paintings and mixed media artwork in 2021, as a way to further explore my creative abilities. I’m also a seasonal writer, and some of my artworks include a few of my writings.
What made you want to become an artist?
I think it’s the need to create things that I would like to look at. I’ve always liked art, from the perspective of the consumer. So, why I became a creative, obviously it was for self-expression, but more importantly, I wanted to be able to appreciate my own art first before I put it in front of an audience.
Where do you find inspiration? Who are some of your favorite artists, and why?
Most of my inspiration comes from just life itself, in its all its randomness. Any thought that bounces into my head from outside stimuli as I go about my day.
My greatest influence has to be Jean Michel Basquiat, because he showed the world that there’s no formula to artistic expression. He brought an unconventional freedom to art that has inspired me in my own work.
In Zimbabwe, it has to be Again Chokuwamba. He recently had an exhibition at First Floor Gallery, and I liked the storytelling and attention to detail in his paintings. I look forward to seeing more of his work.
What was the first artistic project you created? How do you rate it now
My very first painting is one titled “A Boy is a Flower”. I made this back in 2022 as an experiment, it came out well but from it I have managed to grow in terms of skill and technique.
Is there is a genre or medium that is especially well suited to your work?
For now, I have mostly been using oil paint on wooden boards, I find it easy to work on those and also, they were just readily available when I first picked up painting. I have done some work on canvas as well and it went well.
When you look at my works so far, it’s been mostly abstract, mostly because of the Basquiat influence. What I like about abstract is that you don’t have to worry about your mistakes, which is important when you’re starting out. However, I don’t want to be known as an abstract artist, I’d want to explore other genres as I go forward.
How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?
I would ask them to imagine a mess with some different colours in it, maybe some numbers and words too in that mess.
Have you sold any of your artworks so far? How do you balance your artistic vision with any commercial considerations you might have?
I haven’t sold anything yet, I’m still holding on to my artworks (laughs).
I do hope to get something back from my art in the future, as of now I am bit more focused on widening my collection.
Our modern world is often characterised by social problems, injustices, chaos and political issues. How do these issues affect your artistic expression and choices?
I already have preconceived notions about reality, but one of the reasons I took up art is to escape those notions.
So with my art, I try to be courageous enough to touch on some of these taboos and ‘holy grails’ that society might be afraid to address. Great art divides, for the sake of starting conversations.
What else do you do besides art? How do you balance your time and energy between creating art and your day job?
I’m an English tutor, that’s my day job.
Well, I usually just give myself time to create whenever I feel am in the mood to do so, be it at night or in morning. I try and aim to make at least one artwork a month, but I always make sure to take one step at a time. For me, what’s important is to start. The finishing becomes obvious.
What are the essential elements of your ideal working environment? How does it affect your creativity and productivity and how do you cope with distractions or interruptions?
My ideal working environment would have to be some place that’s a bit quiet, less people, less questions while working. There has to be some music as well. I hardly get distracted if i am working in an ideal space.
According to you, what makes a great artist?
The first thing is for you to love your work. It’s also important to love your life, ho out into the world because that’s where the inspiration comes from.
Self doubt, procrastination and even laziness are all a part of the process; so you have to try and conquer those to achieve greatness.
What themes or subjects do you find yourself drawn to repeatedly in your work?
Usually, I don’t have recurring themes in my art because I seek order in the randomness.
How do you set about creating a new work do you plan or you just draw? How stay inspired and engaged working on a new project?
Whenever I intend to get some new work done it usually starts off with getting some material around, then maybe an old idea that I might feel needs now to be brought to life.
Once everything is in place I just get to business and start painting. It might take a couple of hours, days, or weeks to get a piece done, so to keep myself motivated I just keep on wondering how it’s actually going to look like in the end. The curiosity gets me to work
What can we expect from Shiriyashe in 2024, and beyond?
At the moment I’m more focused on creating pieces, different sizes, mediums, shapes.
For 2024, I am aiming for an exhibition that is not only limited to paintings. It will include various artforms, maybe even some performance art and installations.
Going beyond 2024, I don’t want to lose my artistic freedom. I know when you expose your works to the audience, you end up creating expectations. I don’t want to be limited by these expectations
I also hope to inspire others with my work and show others that creative power has been given to us freely and we can use it to change reality.
To close off, how would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a free spirit who wasn’t afraid to venture out into anything that fed his creative passions. Ndiri shiri yaShe, I have no limits, I can go wherever I want. That’s the memory I hope to inspire.
[End of excerpt]
Just like what Basquiat was to New York in 1980, Shiriyashe is Kwekwe’s best kept secret in 2024. But not for long.
After three years of developing his talent and portfolio, the thirty year old is finally ready to be introduced to the world. And what better way to do that than be Mcheno And More’s first ever Artist Avenue feature.
It’s only a matter of time before galleries, collectors and living rooms are teeming with Shiriyashe’s refreshing artworks.
Until then, let this article be your mini-gallery of the brilliance that is Shiriyashe’s art.
