NUDITY AND PURITY Set For Cafe Manhattan, Green Point Thru August 31

NUDITY AND PURITY by RICHARD MUDARIKI (CONTEMPORARY ARTIST) on exhibition until 31st August 2011

Richard Mudariki is from Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, and is a visual artist who paints, draws and occasionally creates small sculptures and installations.

Arriving at his studio is as intriguing as a treasure hunt. His studio is situated inside the Castle of Good Hope, at the end of a long walk, down a narrow stone passage, just above a former prison dungeon cell. Mudariki's latest work is very strong, and compared to his previous works, his style has simplified with darker themes exploring his relationship of the human body. The results are exciting, theres a hint of a medical anatomy lesson lurking in these starkly erotic figure studies. In these minimal creations, there is a drawing technique that is lucid and sensual.

'Nudity and purity" - these paintings express the pureness of the human form without the clothes and layers that hide it's natural beauty.

Mudariki's work is generally figurative with social and sometimes political comment. But this current work seems to be of a much more personal nature. One piece depicts a figure bathing themselves over the head with a bucket of water, only the water is blood red, and the entire uneasy experience is felt by the viewer, there is something dangerous here, there's a story behind all his work.

On becoming an artist Richard says "Well I've been at it since I was in kindergarten, when people told me I could draw. I was discovered by Helen Lieros, an artist of Greek descent, from the Delta Gallery and Foundation for Art and Humanities in Harare, Zimbabwe, through which many a painter has received training. I attended weekend classes with her since I was at school. In his own words: "l hold a Certificate in Creative Art and Designing and a BA in Archaeology from Midlands State University. As a visual artist, I have developed a sixth sense and a third eye to create images of art that have creative meaning and attraction. My goal in art is very simple - to enjoy the creative process. l am not concerned with creating a perfect or flawless piece of art, rather l strive to create something that delights the eye, feeds the senses and fires the imagination. l can describe my work as semi realistic in a sense.

Richard works in oils, acrylics and other water based paints using various techniques. Inspiration for him comes from everything. It may sound like a trite statement but really he finds that inspiration comes from so many different sources that it would be hard to list just one. Sometimes it can come from just a walk in the hood and seeing something that he has never noticed before or from reflecting on a conversation with a friend. More often that not, inspiration comes when you are not looking for it.

Mudariki is happy to take on corporate and private commissions, in fact he says with a sparkle - "I'm willing to do anything, even dance if I'm asked, as long as its creative!" He is dedicated to his craft and is steadily following the recipe to creative success, exhibiting his work in national public galleries, private galleries and showcasing over the internet.

His paintings are represented at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Gallery Delta, Harare, Zimbabwe, Junction Art Gallery, Johannesburg, SA, Salon 91, These Four Walls Gallery, and in private collections in Luxembourg, USA, UK, Germany, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

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