Moffat Takadiwa (born 1983), is a Zimbabwean contemporary sculptor. He is the founder of the Mbare Art Space in the

Mbare Mbare, originally known as Harari, is a suburb in the south of Harare, Zimbabwe. Founded in 1907 as a township, it includes an informal settlement. Mbare Musika is the largest farm produce market in Zimbabwe. History Mbare was the first to ...

neighborhood of the city of

Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...

Biography

Moffat Takadiwa was born in 1983 in

Tengwe Tengwe is a rural business centre in Hurungwe District in the province of Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe situated about 70 km north-west of Chinhoyi and approximately 40 km south of Karoi. Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of sever ...

, in the north-western district of Hurungwe where he grew up. He then relocated to the city of Harare, where he is known as the 'spiritual garbage man' because of his installations and sculptures he creates from waste products. Takadiwa trained at the

Harare Polytechnic Harare Polytechnic College, formerly Salisbury Polytechnic and commonly referred to as Harare Polytechnic, is a technical, public research university in Causeway, Harare. The university is known for its strength in science and engineering, and is ...

where he graduated in 2008 with a BA honors in fine art. Takadiwa also briefly lived in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. It is where he has forged alliances and collaborations that increasingly inform his artistic practice. He addresses material culture, spirituality and the environment.

Art career

Takadiwa started showing his work professionally in 2008, and was soon part of a group of artists that started First Floor Gallery in

, which is now an important independent gallery. He has since moved away from the project. Takadiwa, whose work is community oriented, now works from Mbare Art Space a repurposed beerhall. Having found a unique register to build his work, Takadiwa, is now one of the most global contemporary Zimbabwean artists. His work is shown in various venues from

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

;

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

and many places in between. He has reformed a former community beerhall that was abandoned in recent years into a thriving art precinct in the historical township of

. The space is named Mbare Art Space, here he has built his own studio, but also invites other artists to work in community with him. One of his pieces is currently in the collection of

Jay Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by ''Billboard'' and '' Vibe'' i ...

Solo exhibitions

* 2018 – ''Framed in Colonial Lenses'', Raw Spot Gallery,

Rhodes University Rhodes University () is a public research university located in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, Rhodes University is the prov ...

* 2017 – ''Say Hello to English'', Tyburn Gallery,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

* 2016 – ''Across Borders'', Whatiftheworld,

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

* 2015 – ''Foreign Objects'', Tyburn Gallery,

* 2012 – ''Africa not reachable'', First Floor Gallery,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Takadiwa, Moffat 1983 births Living people Harare Polytechnic alumni 21st-century Zimbabwean sculptors