Exhibition Review: HUNYANZVI – Mastery of Zimbabwean artists on show in Zurich.
- Staff Writer
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
by artweb
As the global art world descended last week in Zurich for the 2025 edition of Zurich Art Weekend, one of the most compelling exhibitions on view was Hunyanzvi (Mastery), a powerful showcase of contemporary Zimbabwean art presented by Grisebach Switzerland in collaboration with artHARARE. Held at Grisebach’s Zurich space, Hunyanzvi brought together ten of Zimbabwe’s most accomplished artists, each demonstrating a singular mastery across painting, installation, mixed media, and conceptual practices.
Marking the fifth edition of the Travel Logs series, an initiative launched in 2024 by Zimbabwean-born art patron and Grisebach Managing Director Michele Sandoz, Hunyanzvi was co-convened by Sandoz and artHARARE's Richard Mudariki, as a tribute to the evolving excellence of Zimbabwe’s leading contemporary artists. Sandoz, a key figure in expanding dialogues around African art in Europe, has also served in advisory roles on African art patronage boards and was instrumental in developing Grisebach’s programming focus on global south narratives.
The exhibition lives up to its title. Hunyanzvi, a Shona term that translates to "mastery," celebrates artists who have reached the apex of their creative journeys—each presenting works that embody technical brilliance, cultural nuance, and political urgency. The participating artists include Moffat Takadiwa, Richard Mudariki, Kombo Chapfika, Mostaff Muchawaya, Wallen Mapondera, Gillian Rosselli, Troy Makaza, Admire Kamudzengerere, Dan Halter, and Kudzanai Chiurai.
What sets this exhibition apart is not only its breadth but its depth. A majority of the artists - Takadiwa, Kamudzengerere, Chapfika, Mapondera, Rosselli, and Makaza - have previously represented Zimbabwe at the Venice Biennale. Rarely has such a formidable assembly of Zimbabwean Biennale alumni been featured in a single group exhibition abroad. The significance of this moment is not lost on the organiser nor on Zimbabwe’s burgeoning artistic diaspora.
artHARARE’s involvement underscores its foundational mission: to assert a grounded, authentic narrative of Zimbabwean contemporary art and elevate its most vital voices on the world stage. “The exhibition is grounded in irreducibility,” says Fadzai Muchemwa, a leading curator of contemporary art. “A condition of being that resists closure, singularity, or simplification. It builds on the colloquialism of takachi master chiround ichi - a phrase that expresses the skilled fusion of aesthetic, poetic, and political layers within an artwork.”
The exhibition has also been made possible through the meaningful support of international partners, including Semioseand Galerie Poggi in Paris, Osart in Milan, First Floor Gallery Harare, and the Fondation WhiteSpaceBlackBox in Neuchâtel. Their backing reflects a growing institutional commitment to supporting and sustaining African contemporary art narratives beyond tokenism.
In staging Hunyanzvi during Zurich Art Weekend, the collaboration between artHARARE and Grisebach not only offers visibility - it asserts presence. It is a statement of excellence, resilience, and mastery from a region often overlooked in mainstream art circuits. This exhibition is not just a window into Zimbabwe’s contemporary scene, it’s a portal into its future.
Exhibition runs until 11 July at Grisebach, Bahnhofstrasse 14 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
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