HARARE recently hosted the inaugural edition of Cheuka Harare Art Fair (CHAF), an artist-led initiative and the brainchild of Wallen Mapondera of Post Studio Arts Collective Merilyn Mushakwe and Admire Kamudzengere of Animal Farm Artist Residency.
Curated by Laura Fungai Ganda, the inaugural event was held at Harare Showgrounds’ Andy Miller Hall from February 27 to March 1 this year.
The newest art fair on the continent presents a strong challenge against the status quo within the art world.
Part of the CHAF curatorial statement read, “At a moment when Zimbabwean artists are garnering international recognition and making significant contribution to global art fairs, this exhibition serves as a vital platform for underscoring the depth and vibrancy of their creative expression.”
Galleries and collectives exhibiting at the fair included Post Studio Arts Collective, Mbayiwa Studios, Bepa Gallery, Animal Farm Artist Residency, Catinca Tabacaru Gallery, Gallery 33.0, Nhaka Gallery, Tarisa Art Studios, Munwahuku Collective, Burnt Offering Collective, The Wailers Studio and Mapondera Collection.
Catinca Tabacaru pulled a big move by presenting the works of Tapfuma Gutsa, a living legend on the local art scene.
Internationally-renowned Gutsa is the unquestionable inspiration and point of reference for Zimbabwe’s contemporary art movement. The artist’s presence at the fair was also a huge endorsement.
Conspicuously absent were First Floor Gallery (FFG), Village Unhu, artHarare, Dzimbanhete Arts and Culture Interactions, Mbare Art Space, and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ). Despite the absence of the above organisations, some of their representatives showed up to provide spiritual support, notably Marcus Gora, co-founder at FFG, Moffat Takadiwa, founder of Mbare Art Space and Fadzai Muchemwa curator for contemporary art at NGZ with assistant curator Zvikomborero Mandangu.
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Guest of honour executive director for NGZ Raphael Chikukwa reminisced about his experience at the inaugural Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which has become a premier international event on the continent.
He revealed that the idea of a curated art fair for Zimbabwe was proposed and discussed many times before. It would seem the story has played out like the biblical parable of the sower. The result speaks to the co-founder's selfless commitment and ability to shrug off distractions.
A key part of Chikukwa’s address was his remarks about the importance of continuity. “Start and stop will not get us anywhere,” he said.
Chikukwa singled out and elevated Gutsa for his longevity, calling him a “torch bearer”. Using an athletics figure of speech, he said Gutsa passed the baton to him, which he in turn was passing on to all present. He said he hoped the event became a permanent feature on Zimbabwe’s art calendar.
The three-day programme included conversations on Investing in Art moderated by Plot Mhako, Collecting and Art Patronage moderated by Peggy Mapondera, Parallel spaces that provide alternative options and Recycling with Moffat Takadiwa and Artist-run Spaces as a Breeding Ground for New Generation Artists in Zimbabwe with Laura Ganda.
Established art fairs on the continent include FNB ART Joburg, the first international art fair in Africa, which was founded in 2008 by South African Entrepreneur Mandla Sibeko and founded in 2014 by a less visible conglomeration, the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which has become Africa’s largest art fair.
Others are the ART X Lagos founded in 2016 by Nigerian entrepreneur and art collector Tokini Peterside-Schwebig and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair founded by Franco-Moroccan entrepreneur Touria El Glaoui in 2013.
CHAF joins the ranks of recently created art fairs such as +234 Art Fair, founded in 2024 by Tola Akerele, founder of Soto Gallery in Nigeria, and RBM Latitudes Art Fair in South Africa, founded in 2023 by Lucy MacGarry and Roberta Coci.
What makes CHAF unique is its origins.
“The idea started with Wallen Mapondera, then he approached me and we started working on it,” says Kamudzengere.
Mapondera attributes the inception of the idea to a thought inspired by a common observation that Zimbabwean artists find greater success and appreciation outside the borders of their own country.
Both artists have exhibited extensively outside the country and represented Zimbabwe at the Venice Biennial on separate occasions.
Locally celebrated and internationally-renowned Zimbabwean artist Misheck Masamvu once boldly declared: “We sit at the table but don’t know how to use the tool.”
He was speaking on the "politics of the post-colonial situation" where a subject’s actions are framed within a scripted reality in which they have no power.
From Masamvu’s perspective, CHAF can be seen as an ideological act of rebellion against the art establishment where artists are assigned to prescriptive roles.
In that sense, the Mapondera and Kamudzengere project is a quantum leap, not baby steps! Galleries and collectives at CHAF 2025 did not just put up a great show, they made history.
