Richard Mudariki

Richard Mudariki practice draws often inspiration from the masters of contemporary and modern art history, Mudariki reinterprets iconic scenes with his own sensibility setting it within contemporary Southern African social context, soliciting social and political debates with his bright colors, skewed perspective, theatrical compositions and allegorical use of symbols. In so doing he also questions the notion of canonicity and dominant narratives of art history. For L’Europa non cade dal cielo Mudariki has been commissioned a new work where he reflects on how Europe is seen and perceived from a non European perspective. In Whaam the artist reinterpreted the omonimous work by Roy Lichtenstein (1963) to comment on the challenge Europe is called to face both with the fight against Covid-19 pandemic and with the recent war in Ukraine. In these challenging times, Mudariki seems to suggest that a call for a unified world can help to achieve new solutions to these challenges.

Richard Mudariki (1985, Seke, Zimbabwe) lives and works in Cape Town. He studied archeology and painting. His work reflects on different aspect of life of the African continent, often with a satirical use of iconic figures and symbols Mudariki provides commentary on the socio-political environment of his homeland and beyond. He had recent solo exhibitions at Gallery Polaris, Paris (2019); 1- 54 Contemporary Art Fair, New York (2019); Barnard Gallery, Cape Town (2018); Sanlam Art Collection Johannesburg\ Cape Town. Recent group shows include Galerie Polaris, Paris (2020); OSART Gallery, Milan (2020); Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, Cape Town (2019); South African National Gallery, Cape Town (2019).