Moffat Takadiwa

Moffat Takadiwa's practice is a call to action, urging African leaders and societies to break free from the colonial legacy and redefine their futures on their own terms. Possible New Dawn, Takadiwa's fourth solo exhibition with Nicodim, his second in Los Angeles, represents both a lamentation and a celebration. It is a tribute to the strength and perseverance of African cultures and a hope for a new dawn of empowerment, unity, and cultural reclamation. He confronts the enduring legacies of colonialism and the modernity it imposed, while simultaneously celebrating the resilience and cultural richness of Africa's ancestral traditions.

The artist's exploration is multi-layered, addressing the environmental degradation, social injustices, and manipulation of power endemic to the postcolonial African experience. Takadiwa weaves together everyday objects, symbols, and metaphors to create a post-industrial "blanket" of complex histories, one that invites viewers to contemplate the interconnectedness of human experiences and the shared legacies of oppression and survival. Through these intricate compositions, Takadiwa reveals the tension between Eurocentric perspectives, African ancestral knowledge, and the modern capitalist world--a world that commodifies not only goods but also identities and histories.

Rooted in the ancient Kore Kore proverb, Kakara Kununa Hudja Kamwe ("the mighty feeds on the weak"), the artist unpacks the contradictions of this cyclical understanding of power. This proverb, traditionally representing the natural cycle of life, is reimagined to critique colonial exploitation and the modern global structures that continue to perpetuate inequalities.

In a striking metaphor for the transformation of African societies, Takadiwa juxtaposes the rooster--once a symbol of political hope for Africa's rise as a superpower--with its modern reality as a commodified object, it has been reduced to a staple of global fast food culture. This contrast highlights the pervasive influence of Western consumerism and the loss of cultural consciousness across the continent, while also reflecting on the entanglement of past and present within African identity.

In the artist's hands, the histories of colonial domination, ecological devastation, and the manipulation of knowledge are woven into a powerful commentary on contemporary African identity. This body of work not only critiques the colonial past, but also challenges viewers to reflect on how those histories continue to shape the present, demanding a reevaluation of what constitutes power, success, and identity in the modern world.

Moffat Takadiwa: Possible New Dawn is a gallery program participant in PST ART: Art & Science Collide, presented by Getty.

—Ryan Castle

Moffat Takadiwa (b. 1983, Karoi) lives and works in Harare, Zimbabwe. Takadiwa transforms post-consumer waste - such as computer keyboards, bottle tops, toothbrushes and toothbrush tubes, - into lush, densely layered sculptures and tapestry-like wall works and sculptures. A prominent voice from the post-independence artist generation in Zimbabwe, Takadiwa's work centerstage his Kerokero heritage while engaging with themes such as consumerism, inequality, post-colonialism and the environment. Takadiwa is also a founder of Mbare Art Space in Harare where he plays a major role in mentoring the growing artist community, establishing the world first artistic center dedicated to repropose reclaimed materials.