Zimbabwe’s Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude is still on a high when we get a hold of him virtually from his studio in Harare. The artist has just been announced as the recipient of this year’s FNB Art Prize, and he joins a league of revered artists such as Lady Skollie, Nolan Oswald Dennis and Kudzanai Chiurai, who are all previous winners. “The feeling has been amazing, honestly. I’m a low-key person, so getting all that attention feels amazing,” Nyaude tells OkayAfrica excitedly.
Nyaude’s painting style has been described as images oscillating “between figuration, abstraction and hallucination.” He has been practicing his craft for more than a decade and says that he tries to speak with as authentic an African voice as possible when approaching his paintings. Asked what he thinks attracted the judges to his work, Nyaude says, “When you do something with all your heart, and you put everything in it, of course it’s gonna get people’s attention and people are gonna try to understand your story.”
His story with art started back when he was still a child, growing up in a household with an artist father and two sisters who could draw. He actively pursued art after completing high school studies, and obtained his National Certificate in Fine Art from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe Visual Arts Studios in 2008. “It’s been a journey [where] you do something almost every day. Of course, you’re gonna get results, and a lot of learning curves as well. I think I would not be able to connect with the world as much as I connect with it right now if I was not an artist,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude.
"MM” by FNB Art Prize winner Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude.
For Nyaude, art is a way to speak other languages, to connect with people universally. His understanding and use of color demonstrate a student loyal to their craft. The images he conjures are mere suggestions that seem incomplete, like a thought that hasn’t been finalized. He is inspired by the rich idioms and proverbs of the Shona language.
“They have got a long historical significance. I live in a neighborhood where we now use these idioms as slang. For me, it’s that change whereby we’re preserving our language through slang,” he says.
Nyaude is also heavily inspired by what goes on in the streets, and this bleeds through to his paintings. The figures in his work are often fashionably dressed, with the dapper sneaker on their feet to match. “I’m an old-school type of painter. I just stick to the basics. I use oil paints and charcoal drawing sticks. Growing up in the streets, there was a lot of graffiti, so I use spray paint as well in the work.”
Photo courtesy of Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude.
A painting by FNB Art Prize winner Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude titled ‘MMXIII.’
The artist has already started conceptualizing his solo show to be held in 2025 as part of the award requirements. “It’s one of my big projects that I want to do from the heart. I’m this young kid who grew up in a small township in Harare, but now it seems like the whole continent has opened its doors. They want to see how far I can stretch, and how I can engage [in] my practice.”
Nyaude managed to find gallery representation shortly after he went professional in 2008, and has been involved in a string of solo and group exhibitions ever since. He understands the implications of being part of a gallery space as an artist, and is comfortable with the demands. “It’s a relationship where you need to understand what they put on the table. If you have a gallery, they will help you with things like residencies. It’s a big pool where a lot of things could happen, and working with a gallery keeps me financially stable,” he says.
The themes that underscore his work are mostly socio-political, such as drugs, unemployment, and the general state of African society. “I think it’s an exciting time right now to be in Africa. It’s always been. I just try to be authentic and be the best version of myself,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude.
A painting by FNB Art Prize winner Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude titled, ‘MCMLXXXVII.’
Nyaude looks up to artists like William Kentridge and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He doesn’t have an assistant at the moment, but dreams of a time when he can employ many people to work on his piece, just like Kentridge. “To have 10 people working with you, you have created an industry. These people are now able to depend on you, and you depend on them.
Zimbabwe is not an easy country to exist in. The economic downturn that has gripped the country since the dawn of the 21st century has made it especially difficult to do business reliably. So we end our conversation by discussing what has enabled Nyaude to keep surviving up until now. “We are slowly beginning to have a domestic market. My gallery managed to show my work around the world through art fairs and through shows that I did. My inspiration comes from home, and whatever I do, I get to re-invest that money around my people.”
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