Taylor Nkomo, a Ndebele artist, is a graduate of Mzilikazi Arts and Crafts Centre in Bulawayo and is considered an icon in the realm of Zimbabwean stone sculpture. The pieces presented at the Biennale Arte are frequently displayed outdoors, populating the artist’s studio garden – a gesture that establishes a connection between the artist, his works, and the community. The sculpture The Thinker (2023) engages with both positive and negative spaces, emphasising the prominence of one eye in contrast to the absence of the other, accentuating oppositions. Fashion Girl (2023), also explores contrasting forms: on one side of the sculpture’s face, scarifications are presented, while the other side highlights the figure’s hairstyle, suggesting a fusion of male and female figures. Nkomo’s sculptures pay tribute to the diverse sculptural traditions of the African continent while simultaneously reaffirming a powerful and distinctive signature.
This is the first time the work of Taylor Nkomo is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Raphael Chikukwa
