by Richard Mudariki There are moments in the cultural life of a country when an apparently simple gesture carries a much greater meaning. The donation of 10 hectares of land at Mount Worsley Estate in Mutare for a new branch of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe is one of those moments. The Masamvu and Rodgers families have not simply donated land. They have made a statement about the importance of culture, about the future of Manicaland, and about the responsibility of those w

by Richard Mudariki Richard Mudariki (2025), 19 October, oil on canvas and painted wood (artist collection - IMAGE: RESERVIOUR) As I work in my studio on my latest body of work, news arrives of bombs falling again in the Middle East. The contrast between the quiet concentration of the studio and the violence unfolding elsewhere in the world is impossible to ignore. It reminds me why, in 2011, I began a body of work with my first solo exhibition in Cape Town titled My Reality

By Richard Mudariki Richard Mudariki (2017) WORLD CUP, oil on canvas and painted wood (in Private Collection) I have followed the Venice Biennale with particular interest since 2011, when Zimbabwe presented its first national pavilion. That moment marked not only a milestone for the country’s cultural diplomacy but also sharpened my awareness of the Biennale’s role within the global art ecosystem. The official opening of the 61st edition of La Biennale di Venezia in Italy wi

.....we observed a market that was neither collapsing nor exploding, but reorganising itself - slowing down after a decade of acceleration and searching for clarity.

by Staff Writer The 2026 National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) have once again turned national attention toward Zimbabwe’s visual arts sector, and this year the results are as compelling as they are provocative. Officially announced and sealed, the outcomes reflect both merit and momentum. Yet they also invite reflection: what do these selections signal about where Zimbabwean contemporary art stands and where it is headed? The most visible narrative to emerge from this year’s vi

by artweb Minister Mthuli Ncube standing from of a sculpture at the Parliament of Zimbabwe before presenting the 2026 National Budget. (Image: Facebook/Financial Times) The 2026 national budget presented by Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube has sparked new discussion across Zimbabwe’s creative sector, especially as the government frames “Job Creation, Youth Entrepreneurship and Development, Creative Industry and Culture” as one of its ten national priorities for the coming yea

by Richard Mudariki We Are Closed: Image from the Irma Stern Museum website I have been following the closure of the Irma Stern Museum in Cape Town with a growing sense of unease. The official statement promises “new life” for the collection and the home, but the public reaction - from shock to suspicion - tells a deeper story about trust, transparency, and the fragility of cultural stewardship in South Africa. Media reports have captured this moment well. The Weekend Argus b

by Richard Mudariki African richest man Aliko Dangote gifts Zimbabwean President a painting by Nigerian artist Akeem Adeleke at a $1 billion investment deal at State House in Harare, 12 Nov 2025 (image: Ministry of Information X (Twitter) post*) At the landmark signing ceremony between the Government of Zimbabwe and the Dangote Group - led by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote - I was struck by an unexpected cultural gesture that stood out amid the billion-dollar investment

By Richard Mudariki A work by Zimbabwean visual artist Mostaff Muchawaya titled Abstract Landscape with Figure (2021) forms part of a prestigious private collection of over 3000 artworks in Cape Town (photo: R. Mudariki) When philanthropist and business leader Tsitsi Masiyiwa recently expressed her pride in Zimbabwe’s artistic talent and creative potential on Linkedin , her words resonated deeply with me. As an artist and cultural producer who has dedicated my life to buildin

By Mazwi Dzapasi Johannesburg in late August and early September always seems to pulse with a creative energy that spreads far beyond the...

by artweb Zimbabwean artist Richard Mudariki with Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama in London (image courtesy of artHARARE) The Government...

by Richard Mudariki Richard Mudariki, At the Art Fair, oil on canvas After more than thirty years in the art world, I was not surprised...