In August, we were pleased to welcome Misheck Masamvu as our second Goodman Gallery-funded resident at G.A.S. Foundation. Known for a distinct practice that spans painting, drawing, and sculpture, Misheck’s residency in Nigeria presents an exciting opportunity for him to engage with and respond directly to the local context through the development of a new body of work.
Misheck, who will spend the majority of his residency at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ijebu, hopes that his immersion in an environment that intersects agricultural life with an artistic setting will provide a fresh perspective and inspire new approaches to his creative process.
What is the current focus of your creative practice?
My current focus is the ongoing evolution of my painting practice as a visual language that actively responds to my immediate environment. Historically, this has involved engaging with the social and political context of Harare, Zimbabwe, where I live and work. However, I am excited to explore how my work will transform when transposed to a new setting and brought into dialogue with the cultural and political landscape of Nigeria.
Detail from Thoughts before the Rain (2020), oil on canvas. Image courtesy of the artist and Goodman Gallery.
What drew you to apply for this residency and how do you think it will inform your wider practice?
I was drawn to this residency because it offers a unique opportunity to engage with a space that operates at the intersection of farming and art, a dynamic I’ve always found interesting. At home, I’ve set up a farm where I balance my art practice with the reality of operating a farm and I’m interested in welcoming artists to the space in the future. I’m curious to see how this relationship between farming and creative production can evolve when placed in a context that has developed further than my own space. I’m particularly interested in how an artist can be accommodated within a farm setting—how the physical space, its cycles, and its processes can inform artistic expression.
Can you give us an insight into how you hope to use the opportunity?
As I prepare for my upcoming solo exhibition in London with Goodman Gallery, this moment presents an opportunity to work iteratively and develop a new body of paintings. The residency will be important as it will provide space for open experimentation. A significant part of my focus during this time will be completing works in progress that I began in Harare and I am eager to see how this ongoing conversation between places—Harare and the Farm in Ikise—will shape and influence the final outcomes.
Ranked Heads (2016), oil on canvas. Image courtesy of the artist and Goodman Gallery.
ABOUT MISHECK MASAMVU
Misheck Masamvu (b. 1980, Penhalonga, Zimbabwe) explores and comments on the socio-political setting of post-independence Zimbabwe, and draws attention to the impact of economic policies that sustain political mayhem. Masamvu raises questions and ideas around the state of ‘being’ and the preservation of dignity. His practice encompasses drawing, painting and sculpture.
Masamvu studied at Atelier Delta and Kunste Akademie in Munich, where he initially specialised in the realist style, and later developed a more avant-garde expressionist mode of representation with dramatic and graphic brushstrokes. His work deliberately uses this expressionist depiction, in conjunction with controversial subject matter, to push his audience to levels of visceral discomfort with the purpose of accurately capturing the plight, political turmoil and concerns of his Zimbabwean subjects and their experiences. His works serve as a reminder that the artist is constantly socially-engaged and is tasked with being a voice to give shape and form to a humane sociological topography. In 2020, Masamvu took part in the 22nd Biennale of Sydney.
Masamvu’s work has been well-received and exhibited in numerous shows including Armory Show 2018, Art Basel 2018, Basel Miami Beach 2017, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair New York 2016, São Paulo Biennale 2016, and the Venice Biennale, Zimbabwe Pavillion 2011.
Misheck's residency is generously supported by Goodman Gallery.
