ARTIST RESEARCH 4 KUDZANAI-VIOLET HWAMI

Kudzanai-violet Hwami is a Zimbabwean painter, born in South Africa and now lives as well work in London.

her use of photos from her family album (photos from the '90s) had a strong influence on her work such as her memories and visions of her own childhood in Zimbabwe have dominated her work.

most of her work is made of bright, vibrant colours and collages of plants, leaves.

through her exhibition '' (15,952km) via Trans-Sahara Hwy N1 '', Kudzanai maps the distance and route between her home in Zimbabwe and London. through this exhibition Kudzanai's talks about her own physical and spiritual background and also her journey into adulthood in the UK.

''Medicine man'' 2019, oil on canvas, in one of her talk, Kudzanai expressed the use of spiritual awakening within her heritage when she went back to South Africa. she was surrounded by people who were reconnecting with their culture hence the '' medicine man '' is a result of when she came across a man who was selling plants and herbs that helps cure illnesses and diseases. as this method was commonly used within the zimbabwe people where she resided as a way to reconnect with how their ancestors used to take care of their health (internally and outside).

watching most of her videos on youtube has been beneficial and inspiring because one day I would love to go back to my birth country (DR CONGO) and experience what she experienced once again.