As an artist, I love to feel connected to my roots. I am proudly from Zimbabwe, but I was brought up in the UK. Despite not growing up in Zimbabwe, I still feel very connected to it, and I have shown this through its strong presence throughout my work. I am a collage artist. Making collages is not just about placing different things next to or on top of each other with no order; making collages is much more than that, it’s the thought process behind every single photo chosen and how they are positioned, it’s the art of telling a story through the pictures themselves.
I only like to use pictures that have meaning to me, so I collected old family photos. By making one collage using those pictures, I have found a new life for them. I also enjoy the history behind every single picture; For example, I have never met my late grandfather but by using pictures of him I have a clearer understanding of who he was and what he was like. I also enjoy incorporating text into my collages, by using UK newspapers, grandfather's passport and business cards, Zimbabwean newspapers, and flyers. For each complete collage I made sure I use ‘Shona’ words so that the artwork would remain original and stay connected to my roots.
Tadiswanashe Amy Chikanda
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“Hama Dzangu” (My Relatives). A0 Collage print.
This project explores the idea of the meaning of family. As an artist I love to create things that have meaning to not just me but to the viewers as well. I am a Zimbabwean artist who likes to explore diverse ways of showing my culture. I like to do this by making collages.
For this project I explored with digital and physical collages, using old family pictures I had collected over some time.
This project explores the connection between identity and heritage (culture, language, religion, migration, and ancestry) and generations (similarities and differences between grandparents, parents, and children). By me exploring these inspirations I found that making collages is the best way for me to tell my ancestor's story.
For my physical collages I print out the pictures in different scales, cut them all out then I organise them to figure out what would look good next t each other and what would not. I like to plan out my college before making them because I want viewers to really think about how family shape's identity and personal experiences. For my digital collages it's a bit easier for to play around with each picture individually.
Overall, through my work, I hope to create feelings of nostalgia and memory.
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