In an inspired fusion of visual art, music, photography, and fashion, four of Zimbabwe’s most influential creative forces have come together to breathe new life into the works showcased at the recent Ndishonongoreiwo exhibition.
The collaboration featuring mbira maestro Hope Masike, visual artist Sabina Mutsvati, renowned photographer Nyasha Gurure, and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe is a powerful celebration of African culture, womanhood, and creative freedom.
The seeds of this collaborative project were planted during the opening night of Ndishonongoreiwo, an exhibition by Mutsvati that drew a full house and rave reviews. The energy from the opening evening sparked a desire among the artists to further explore the themes of the exhibition, especially around African identity, strength, and femininity through different mediums.
Central to the collaboration were two avant-garde dresses titled Varoora and Vamwene, designed by Mutsvati using traditional African brooms. The pieces transcend conventional fashion, offering instead wearable art that reimagines traditional tools of domesticity as symbols of feminine power and cultural pride.
“These dresses are a symbol of the power that we carry as African women,” said Mutsvati. “We should not be told otherwise. We are bearers of great wisdom, power and strength.”
Photographer Nyasha Gurure, popularly known online as @thefemalephotographerzw, was captivated by the symbolism of the broom dresses and approached the shoot with a vision rooted in storytelling. Her signature artistic style gave the collaboration a distinct visual language.
“I like thinking beyond photography, and these pieces inspired me to do exactly that,” Gurure said. “The two dresses, *Vamwene* and *Varoora*, got me thinking: these are early morning queens, and the first eyewitness is the bird. That’s why I took the other shot from a bird’s view, and I kept a sunrise light feel.”
Wearing the statement pieces was none other than Hope Masike, Zimbabwe’s internationally acclaimed mbira musician and cultural advocate. Her presence in the shoot added a sonic and spiritual layer to the collaboration. “I was really delighted to collaborate with some of Zimbabwe’s finest artists Sabina and Nyasha,” she said. “These are women who seek to explore creativity without any boundaries, bringing to the fore pertinent societal conversations.”
Masike, whose artistic ethos centers on the celebration of African heritage, saw the collaboration as a natural extension of her work in music and cultural preservation. “My own brand seeks to celebrate African art. So this collaboration spotlighted exactly that, while celebrating the mbira also. Many thanks to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe for allowing us to explore all creative possibilities with Sabina’s exhibited works.”
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe, which hosted the original exhibition and the photo shoot, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting bold and experimental artistic expression. “*Ndishonongoreiwo* is an act of care and a refusal,” said exhibition curator Fadzai Muchemwa. “Through collaborations like these, we are reminded that institutions, too, are living organisms, capable of transformation if we allow them to be unsettled.”
With the collaboration, the gallery and the artists have proven that art does not end on the walls of an exhibition – it lives on, adapts, and resonates across mediums and audiences.
As Zimbabwe continues to nurture its vibrant creative industries, collaborations like this one stand as testimony to the transformative power of art – especially when driven by women whose work refuses to be confined.
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