About the Basket Case Exhibition

THE currently running Basket Case Exhibition at the Nation Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) is a collaboration between artists and designers with basket-making communities from, Binga, Bulawayo, Luphane, Honde Valley and Masvingo.

It is a unique exhibition which brings artists and designers who have never worked in this medium which is something viewers should expect to see this marriage. The exhibition brings in so many possibilities out of this exchange.

"This is yet another international exhibition with a group of high profile artists and designers from England, France, Germany and Nigeria including our own high profile Zimbabwean artist Tapfuma Gutsa," NGZ curator Raphael Chikukwa said.

He said the exhibition was second edition of the Basket Case Exhibition that started at the National Gallery of Bulawayo in 2009 and later toured Harare in 2010.

Chikukwa said the Conversation to have a second edition started and the NGZ embraced the project.

"Together with Christine Eyene with whom I am curating this exhibition, we managed to pull this through support from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and the EUNIC partners," he added.

There are five artists and two designers participating in the exhibition who include Gutsa (Zimbabwe), Ifeoma Anyaeji (Nigeria), Alexandra Bircken (Germany), Delaine Le Bas (United Kingdom), Michel Paysant (France) and two designers, Matali Crasset (France) and Sebastain Herkner (Germany).

Chikukwa said the aim and purpose of this exhibition was to bring artists and designers together and most importantly to share skills, and encourage people-to-people relations through arts and culture.

"Art always breaks the boundaries and this can be seen in this exhibition, for the old ladies in the basket communities have the opportunity of working with these high-profile artists," he said.

Chikukwa added that the exhibition was very important to the curators as it was a unifier of diverse artists who would be able to share ideas as they showcase alongside each other.

He said it was their hope that artists would take advantage of such an opportunity and most importantly the exhibition would speak for itself throughout its run.

The exhibition which started on October 15 will run through to December 31 and some crafts from the basket communities will be for sale to the public.