Anne Zanele Mutema

Last updated

Anne Zanele Mutema
Born1988
Harare, Zimbabwe
NationalityZimbabwean
Education National Gallery Visual Art Studio (2010); Zimbabwe Institute of Photography and Cinematography (2009)
Known forInstallation art, conceptual art
StyleContemporary conceptual, phenomenology

Anne Zanele Mutema (born 1988) is a Zimbabwean installation and conceptual artist based in Harare, her work often uses sculptural and participatory forms to explore memory, ritual and the relationship between objects and lived experience. [1] Since 2010 she has exhibited in Zimbabwe and internationally with presentations at the Toronto Biennial of Art (2022), FNB Art Joburg (2022), Artissima (2022, 2024) and Kuvhunura: The Harare School at Fondation Blachère, France (2024). [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Mutema was born in Harare in 1988 and she trained in cinematography at the Zimbabwe Institute of Photography and Cinematography in 2009 and later graduated from the National Gallery Visual Art Studio in 2010. [2] [4]

Artistic practice

Mutema’s installations frequently combine hand-stitched plastics, thread, sound and symbolic objects. A recurring element in her work is the mutsvairo (traditional broom), which she employs as a reference to cultural memory and collective experience. Her practice is often described as phenomenological, emphasising presence, ritual and audience interaction. At the Toronto Biennial of Art in 2022, she presented Systemic Necropolis, an installation conceived as a memorial space engaging with memory and temporality. [2] [6]

Career

Since the early 2010s, Mutema has shown work in solo and group contexts solo exhibitions include Ranezuro Rangu Ngariziye (My Yesterday Should Know) (2022) and Soft Equinoctial (2023) at First Floor Gallery Harare. [7] [8]

Internationally, she has participated in the Toronto Biennial of Art (2022), [2] FNB Art Joburg (2022), [3] Artissima (2022; 2024), [4] and group exhibitions such as Kuvhunura: The Harare School at Fondation Blachère, France (2024). [5] In 2025 her work featured in All About Eve, a group show at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery in London. [9]

Reception

Mutema’s work has been covered by both Zimbabwean and international media. The Zimbabwean newspaper NewsDay has reviewed her solo projects, describing them as challenging conventional exhibition formats and evoking spiritual reflection. [10] [11] South African arts magazine ArtThrob listed her presentation among its highlights of FNB Art Joburg 2022. [12] The Toronto Biennial’s curatorial notes also emphasised her exploration of cultural memory and temporality. [2]

Personal life

Mutema lives and works in Harare and her practice is shaped by her background in cinematography and visual art training, and she continues to work closely with artist-run initiatives and galleries in Zimbabwe. [6]

Selected exhibitions

YearExhibitionVenue / LocationReference
2025All About Eve (group)Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK [9]
2024Kuvhunura: The Harare School (group)Fondation Blachère, Bonnieux, France [5]
2023Soft Equinoctial (solo)First Floor Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe [8]
2022Toronto Biennial of Art — Systemic Necropolis72 Perth Avenue, Toronto, Canada [2]
2022FNB Art Joburg Johannesburg, South Africa [3]
2022Artissima Turin, Italy [4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dr Tony M. Monda (2023). "Zanele-Anne Mutema's Immersive Art". Gemnation. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Anne Zanele Mutema". Toronto Biennial of Art. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Keely Shinners (24 August 2022). "Spotlight on FNB Art Joburg: Editor's picks". ArtThrob. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Anne Zanele Mutema — CV" (PDF). Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Kuvhunura : l'École d'Harare". Fondation Blachère (in French). Fondation Blachère. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Anne Zanele Mutema — Biography". Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "Anne Zanele Mutema: Ranezuro Rangu Ngariziye". First Floor Gallery Harare. 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Anne Zanele Mutema — Soft Equinoctial". First Floor Gallery Harare. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  9. 1 2 "All About Eve — Group Exhibition". Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery. 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  10. ↑ Nyadzombe Nyampenza (24 May 2022). "Mutema challenges traditional presentation of art". NewsDay. NewsDay Zimbabwe. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  11. ↑ Nyadzombe Nyampenza (20 December 2023). "Mutema's magical art provokes spiritual awakening". NewsDay. NewsDay Zimbabwe. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  12. ↑ Shinners, Keely (24 August 2022). "Spotlight on FNB Art Joburg: Editor's picks". ArtThrob. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.