Adolf Tega: Mwana wevhu’ (son of the soil) – Online Exhibition

Gallery MOMO is proud to present Mwana wevhu’ (son of the soil), an online solo exhibition by Adolf Tega.

Characterized by Tega’s faculty to appraise life spiritually and philosophically, ‘Mwana wevhu’ is a Shona expression that translates to ‘son of the soil’. The exhibition probes a range of themes about the human condition including memories, culture, religion and tradition. Tega tackles identity, global migration and displacement as he explores untapped potential, new beginnings and legacy.

There is much cognizance to gain from Tega’s relationship with color. When we view it through his eyes we discover profound passions, inescapable obsessions and ardent notions about the potency of it. In an attempt to reconcile his multicultural background and life, Tega draws inspiration from Impressionism and Post-impressionism. Tega provides examples of the use of analogous and complementary colors to create energy and bold contrast with a sense of harmony in his visual storytelling. His use of color and form serve to express determination and will, as well as passages of quiet and calmness.

Tega’s body of work is radiant, hopeful, resilient and emancipatory with a retro sensibility. Deeply personal, the imagery oscillates between flamboyant and wistful. His subjects are sometimes recollected from flashbacks of family members or other human encounters whose migration stories are relayed on canvas. In this body of work he introduces personal figures like his uncle who migrated to South Africa from Zimbabwe in the 1970’s captured in Daydreamerand his friend Makoti whose ambitions were never actualized when she migrated. In that sense he illustrates the myriad trajectories humans follow – and probes what is and what is wished for.

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