Education
2008-2010 – Masters of Fine Art
The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, London, United Kingdom
I majored in painting. I also worked with “installation” that included video, performance, and sculpture created from recycled material.
2007-2008- Post-Graduate Diploma in Fine Art
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, United Kingdom
The course was open structured leaving ample room for experimentation. Areas of exploration included painting, drawing, installation, performance and video production.
1999 – National Diploma in Fine Art
Harare Polytechnic College, Harare, Zimbabwe
This 3 year National Diploma offered foundation courses in ceramics, painting, graphic design, textiles, printmaking, life drawing, sculpture and art history. At the end of the first year, the course presented an option for Graphic Design or Fine Art. I opted for Fine Art where I then majored in printmaking with painting as a minor.
Work Experience
September 2015- January 2016 “Take My word for it.”
Creative writing Tutor
Taught 5th – 8th-grade students basic creative writing. My role includes inspiring the students to engage with their imagination and the world around them. My teaching approach is always to find the students’ strongest points and leverage those to build their self-confidence.
2012-2015
Youth Spirit Artworks – Art director
My duties included teaching art basics such as drawing, painting, and printmaking to underprivileged at-risk youth. Due to the nature of the program, my role extended into that of a mentor for the youth.
2009-2010 B Six College, London, United Kingdom
Art/media teacher
Role included teaching art basics such as drawing, painting, printmaking and media studies using programs including Adobe Premiere (Video editing) and Photoshop (Digital image editing).
2004–2007 Book Café – Pamberi Trust, Harare, Zimbabwe
Projects Officer
Responsibilities included initiating and managing artistic projects such as The Poetry Slam, social and political discussions, book launches, theater, and musical performances, as well as compiling weekly reports for the Trust. The position also included organizing and running skills development workshops for local artists.
1999 – 2003 Zimbabwe German Society, Harare, Zimbabwe
Art teacher
Developed and taught workshops for students aged 9 to 12 years. The curriculum covered basic drawing skills, painting and printmaking.
1999- 2003 Prestige College, Harare, Zimbabwe
Art Teacher
Prestige College caters to students with learning difficulties and behavioral challenges. The curriculum included drawing, painting and fabric printing.
Artist Residencies
2010 Utopia Project, Athens School of Fine Art, Crete, Greece
Select Solo Exhibitions
2016 “My First art show” -Museum of Children’s Art, Oakland,CA
2016 “Framed” -Alameda Island Brewing Company, Alameda
2016 “Solidarity-Unity-Acceptance – Orlando Fundraiser” – San Francisco, CA
2016 Performance Art – Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
2015 “Here Now” – La Pena, Berkeley, CA Multimedia art performance about my journey from Zimbabwe to the United States.
2012 “One for the ninety-nine” La Pena Cultural Center, Berkeley, California
2008 “Tongue Tied” Cochrane Theatre, London, United Kingdom
2005 ”Impressionen” Rottweil, Germany.
2004 “Children…The Unheard Voices” Zimbabwe German Society, Harare, Zimbabwe.
2003 “Survivor” Book Café, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Select Group Exhibitions
2016 “Solidarity-Unity-Acceptance” (Fundraiser for Orlando victims), Minna Gallery, San Francisco, California.
2016 “100 under 100” Studio 23, Alameda, California.
2015 “Creature Feature” Studio 23, Alameda, California.
2012/2013 “Celebration, Excitement and joy” Expressions Gallery, Berkeley, California
2012 “The 4 R’s : Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Re-grow” Expressions Gallery, Berkeley, California
2012 “Blamour” Gordon Joyce Gallery, Oakland, California
2011 “Parallax Art Fair” Opera Arcade-Pall Mall, London, United Kingdom
2010 “Cross My Art” Art and Escape, London, United Kingdom
2010 “MFA Graduate Show” The Slade School of Fine Art, London, United Kingdom
2010 “Saint Stephens Festival” Saint Stephens Church, London, United Kingdom
2010 “Tell us about it” Chelsea Old Library, London, United Kingdom
2009 “Interim show” The Slade School of Fine Art, London, United Kingdom
2009 “Art of Nurture” Lloyds Bank Delfina Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2008 “Many Rivers to Cross” Oval Theatre House, London, United Kingdom
2008 ”The third bicycle” Central Saint Martins, London, United Kingdom
Awards
Nancy Balfour Trust Scholarship 2009
Chelsea Arts Club: Honorary Membership 2009
Canon Collins Education for Southern Africa Trust Scholarships 2007
Professional Associations
Board member, Expressions Gallery 2013-present
Board of Trustees, Pamberi Trust 2004-present
Publications
BBC Focus on Africa. Poetry and Pain(t), Edition April-June 2007, page 63 ISSN: 0959- 9576
The Nordic Africa Institute (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet), “Labels, No!”, “Painting in Zimbabwe/Mavedzenge”, 2002 Http://www.nai.uu.se/research/areas/cultural_images_in_and_of/zimbabwe/painting
Pamabzuka News, Carry me, http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/39148/print
Action Aid International Zimbabwe, The little mermaid of Mbare, http://www.ms.dk/sw13112.asp
Additional experience
2005-2007 The Guests Comedy Show
Written and performed by Victor Mavedzenge and Michael Kudakwashe. The Guests comedy was a weekly 2 hour show performed at The Book Café, Harare, Zimbabwe, which ran from 2005-2007. The show included improvisational stand-up comedy and socio-political commentary sketches.
2005-2007 House of Hunger Poetry Slam, Harare, Zimbabwe
Founder and participant
Founding the House of Hunger Poetry Slam created a performance space for young poets, who otherwise had neither space nor community within which to interact with. This was Zimbabwe’s first poetry slam, and continues to this day. The House of Hunger has grown to establish partner poetry slams in South Africa and Malawi.
2006 Actor/playwright
Lead actor and co-author of the play “Territory”, co-written with British Directors Giles Ramsay and Jon Bonfiglio. This was a theatre promenade. The play was taken internationally and performed at the following venues:
- Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Scotland
- Flowers East Gallery, London, United Kingdom
- Arts Depot Gallery – London, United Kingdom
- Harare International Festival of the arts, Zimbabwe
2006 Poetry Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
Performed poetry, comedy and performance art. Included live painting on stage in response to the poetry presented by other poets.
2005 Actor
Lead actor in a nationally televised 13 episode situation-comedy entitle “Avenues”.