BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
Visual artistes Tafara Magumise and Agrippa Tirigu went home smiling after bagging US$600 cash prize each for excelling in the 2D and 3D category respectively of the Masked competition that closed with an exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Harare on Friday.
The first prize winners would also enjoy two-night stays at Bushman Lodge (valued at US$250) and an art voucher worth US$50, courtesy of Morgan and Co, a security firm which co-hosted the Masked exhibition with NGZ Harare last Thursday.
Prudence Chimutuwah (2D) and Terrence Musekiwa (3D) won US$200 each for their efforts, and a meal for two worth US $50. An art voucher worth US$50 won by third prize winners Talent Kapadza (2D) and Clive Mukucha.
Kapadza and Mukucha also won US $100 cash prize each.
Highly commended artistes under the 2D category are Mukudzei Muzondo, Keith Zenda and Pritchard Chirume and those highly commended under 3D are Smibio Bangura, Elisha Gondo and Cosmas Chingondi.
The Masked competition was open to artistes aged 18 to 41 whose artworks raise awareness among the public on the issue surrounding the new normal brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Participants were tasked to depict how masked every part of life has become and how health professionals have been at the forefront trying to come up with solutions to curb the spread of coronavirus.
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Morgan & Co head of research, Batanai Matsika expressed his organisation’s continued commitment to support local artists.
“Investors are moving to alternative ways of investment like arts. We believe that this is our path to develop the local arts industry. It’s our part to support arts and we will definitely keep on supporting,” he said.
“In that regard we would like to assure creative artists who participated in the Masked competition that we will continue to support them. We were pretty much excited by their work.”
Guest of honour, the NGZ chairperson Solomon Guramatunhu said the support from Morgan & Co was a shot in the arm, adding that the ecosystem of the arts and business was of great value.
“The ecosystem of the arts and business is of great value, as cross pollination of the different economic tenets is crucial in national development. The formal establishments investing in the informal creates value and beneficiates the arts,” Guramatunhu said.
