HARARE - Zimbabwean painter Portia Zvavahera has won the First National Bank (FNB) Art award in South Africa that comes with a R100 000 cash prize.
In addition to the cash prize, the highly-rated Zvavahera will be given a slot to showcase her work at the FNB Jo’burg Art Fair. The FNB Award follows the Tollman Award, also worth R100 000, that the 29-year-old Zimbabwean artist won in South Africa last year.
Zvavahera, who studied at the BAT Visual Arts Studio under the auspices of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe between 2003 and 2005 and at the Harare Polytechnic a year later, represented Zimbabwe at the 55th Venice Biennale in Italy last year.
Zimbabwe National Art Gallery curator Raphel Chikukwa has described Zvavahera as a worthy ambassador for the country.
“We are proud that our very own daughter is making it big internationally.
“This is the second prize she has won in South Africa in the last two years. In Italy, she also raised the country’s flag high when she showcased at the Venice Biennale,” said Chikukwa.
Zvavahera, a 2009 artist-in-residence at Greatmore Studios in Cape Town, describes her artwork as a “personal diary.”
“Using painting and print-making as media, I interpret that which I depict from my dreams, life experiences in comforting and uncomfortable moments,” she said.
“I mainly depict my dreams which I hardly forget.
“I have to express myself through painting and print-making relieving myself off the burden which I carry when I do not put it across visually which serves as a healing process.”