HARARE recently hosted the debut edition of Cheuka Harare Art Fair (CHAF), an artist-led initiative and the brainchild of Admire Kamudzengere of Animal Farm Artist Residency and Wallen Mapondera with Merilyn Mushakwe of Post Studio Arts Collective.
The fair, held at Andy Miller Hall in Harare Showgrounds, is reportedly the first curated art fair in the country. The successful event shined a spotlight on Laura Fungai Ganda, who was appointed to the critical role of curator.
Internationally-renowned curator Simon Njami once stated, “Art is not just about the artist. It is a whole system that contains different stakeholders. For it to exist, these different conditions must be gathered: curators, critics, galleries, museum, fairs and collectors.”
Ganda is an independent curator, researcher and arts management consultant. She studied BComm Marketing and Economics at Great Zimbabwe University and holds an MA in Arts Management and Heritage Studies from the University of Leeds. She is the founder of Creative Lounge Trust, a non-profit organisation that aims to “support contemporary art and culture in Zimbabwe and beyond through strengthening the creative and cultural industries.” The enterprising young woman recently founded Gallery 33.0. Originally from Nyazura, Ganda is based in Rusape, but most of her projects have been in Harare.
The Rusape-based curator transitioned from a career-oriented artist to marketing after an internship at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ). The die was cast after she curated her first event, the International Images Film Festival for Women, in 2016.
She joined ranks with fellow curators such as curator for contemporary art at NGZ Fadzai Muchemwa; assistant curator at NGZ Harare Zvikomborero Mandangu; assistant curator at NGZ Victoria Falls Valerie Sithole; assistant curator at NGZ Bulawayo Doris Kampira; Gina Maxim, cofounder at Village Unhu; Valerie Kabov, co-founder at First Floor Gallery (FFG), Dana Hwavira, founder at Njelele Art Station; Merilyn Mushakwe, 2024 curatorial Fellow with The ARAK Collection and co-founder at Post Studio Arts Collective; Tandazani Dhlakama (Zimbabwean), former assistant curator at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), now curator of Global Africa at Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Doreen Sibanda former executive director at NGZ.
It can be noted that curators working for institutions have their tasks laid out for them, while independent curators strive to create opportunities and find projects to work on. Being independent means a curator is less constrained by an in-house agenda, but without institutional support, they have to put more skin in the game. Ganda says she has faced many challenges, including difficulty in finding exhibition venues that are accessible to the public and persuading property owners to donate their spaces for a show.
Considering herself a latecomer to the scene, Ganda bemoans missed opportunities that come with an age capping. However, the ageist tendency in arts industry operations has not dampened her spirit, quelled her enthusiasm, or diminished her ambition. Part of her strength appears to be an ability to actively pursue collaborative opportunities. It is a rare trait that she can engage with artists belonging to different affiliations and bring them together for an independent project. Very often, self-serving interests and petty jealousies get in the way of meaningful projects.
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Ganda’s curatorial practice seeks to provide a platform for community-based initiatives. Her practice mirrors sentiments expressed by the executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz and recently appointed curator of the La Biennale di Venezia 2026, Koyo Kouoh. Kouch has encouraged curators to focus on their immediate proximity, urging them to “dig where you stand”.
Selected shows curated by Ganda include group exhibition The Contours of Resistance (2022), Zvepano (2022) female artists group exhibition, The Cocoon: A Be-You-Till-Full Place, (2024) a career defining first solo exhibition by Shalom Kufakwatenzi and stunning group show The Art and Ecology Laboratory of Ideas Exhibition (2024).
The hard-working curator has also been instrumental in several educational and skills development initiatives such as The Collaborative Language of Printmaking workshop, which culminated in a printmaking exhibition. Creative Lounge Trust has hosted a collaborative design workshop for an ecological public artwork in urban spaces, which, among other objectives, was aimed at enabling the co-existence of urban development and cultural heritage. “As an independent curator, establishing credibility and a unique curatorial voice are essential,’’ she says.
In Zimbabwe, the occupation of an independent curator can be a thankless job. On the surface, it looks glamorous and some may expect that the passion and self-sacrifice invested into the project will be commensurate with material rewards. Often, the reality is that limited grants, token funding and meagre corporate support leave no substantial compensation for the individuals involved. It can cause animosity when some players driven by dire personal circumstances end up accusing others of benefiting more. Even after a successful show, there can be fallout and trading of insults with anyone involved in the project. Ganda's persistence demonstrates grit and stoicism.
Recently, Ganda founded Gallery 33.0, which goes with the slogan Creating Space for Women’s Art. At Cheuka Harare Art Fair, the booth featured four female artists — Kundai Nathan, Shalom Kufakwatenzi, Mercy Moyo and Primrose Chingandu. The artworks were displayed under the theme Surgence and attracted visitors for closer inspection of their vibrant colours, rich texture and intriguing stories.
Surgence can be used to describe Ganda’s career at the moment. As an emerging curator, she has not yet been jaded to the point of cynicism, intoxicated with knowledge to the point of arrogance, or corrupted by power. Mutual respect is mirrored by the artists she has worked with and even those who have not yet done so. Zimbabwe's visual art sector will benefit from her.
