Washington and Lee’s Watson Galleries opened the exhibit “Recoded Memories” on Oct. 24 to present the works of Moffat Takadiwa, a Zimbabwean contemporary artist.

Takadiwa lives and works in Harare, Zimbabwe. He uses discarded materials like keyboards, bottle caps and toothbrushes to create sculptures that reflect his Korekore heritage. The Korekore are a subgroup of the Shona people, Zimbabwe’s largest indigenous group, according to York’s Shona Gallery. His work examines how colonialism and overconsumption have hurt postcolonial societies like Zimbabwe.

The Washington and Lee Art Museum and Galleries hosted a discussion and reception about the exhibit on Oct. 23. The talk featured guest curator Clement Akpang and W&L art professor Sandy de Lissovoy. Takadiwa was unable to attend because of concerns about immigration, according to university Museum Director Isra El-beshir. 

During the discussion, Akpang described the work that goes into Takadiwa’s sculptures.

“It requires a lot of materials being put together, the thinking process, the conceptualization, the gathering of the material and then the composition before the whole work comes together,” Akpang said.

Takadiwa’s projects rely on a team of about 40 people who search junkyards for specific materials. The team sorts the items and brings them to Takadiwa. He then counts, cleans and prepares the objects in his studio.

“Hanging by the Thread” is a piece displayed in the exhibit that is made of nail clips, computer buttons, bottle caps, computer keys and clothing buttons. 

In the piece’s caption, Takadiwa said, “In my home country, countless people struggle to make ends meet, navigating a challenging landscape where survival often depends on resourcefulness. The economic circumstances have led many to adopt a patchwork approach to their livelihoods, where gratitude for simply being alive has become a common sentiment.”

“Pregnant Picasso Bull,” another one of Takadiwa’s pieces, is composed of Zimbabwean banknotes, bottle caps, calculator buttons and computer keys.

Akpang said that in “Pregnant Picasso Bull,” Takadiwa shows how capitalism’s waste and overconsumption puts unsustainable pressure on the Global South.

“He wants us to think about what we actually need. In Shona philosophy and indigenous thinking, materiality is not part of it. People share things,” said Akpang. “If you don’t reduce the amount of waste that you create, then you now have the problem of waste colonialism.”

Waste colonialism is the act in which wealthy nations export their waste, sometimes disguised as recycling or trade, to poorer countries that lack the infrastructure to manage it, according to Adele Mutti, a contributing writer from earth.org.

Akpang said that part of the problem in Africa is that contaminated soil from dyes and chemicals make the land unusable and unlivable.

“We need to think about the destruction of lives beyond just the destruction of the land,” said Akpang.

Akpang said Takadiwa’s art critiques both Western exploitation and the post-colonial leadership in Africa. Lissovoy said that Zimbabwe has slipped into authoritarianism.

“Moffat and many other artists are using dissent in a very coded, subverted way,” said Lissovoy. “We can read all of these themes implicit in their work, and they’re surviving in a place where they cannot protest, they cannot raise their voices.”

Lissovoy said that highlighting the importance of the environment is central to Takadiwa’s work.

“In the Korekore belief, the land is breathing, the land is alive, the land is part of everything we share. We’re dependent on the planet,” said Lissovoy. “He’s asking us to slow down and think about the future of this place.”

Lissovoy said Takadiwa emphasized the art of collaboration in his exhibit.

“He is very interested in bringing in this Korekore indigenous feeling,” said Lissovoy. “He’s not just training people to work for him, but he’s actually having them discover processes to create the units.

Akpang said that Takadiwa’s work reflects the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes community over individualism. 

In the Shona language, he said, greetings express interconnectedness and the fact that one’s well-being depends on the well-being of others. Takadiwa applies this philosophy to his work by creating a collaborative environment that supports artists’ social and economic growth, said Akpang.

Takadiwa is the founder of Mbare Art Space, an urban renewal project and arts center located in a former colonial beer hall in Harare’s Mbare township. The center offers studio space, mentorship and public programming for all artists, according to Tinashe Mushakavanhu, a writer for the Conversation. 

The “Recoded Memories” exhibit is on loan from the international Nicodim Gallery. It will remain on campus until May.