Wycliffe Mundopa
Born in 1987 in Rusape, Zimbabwe. Lives and works in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Wycliffe Mundopa is an acclaimed painter devoted to the lives of women and children in Harare’s underprivileged neighbourhoods. His work speaks with impassioned anger, cynicism, compassion, and, above all, complete commitment to the acknowledgement that these subjects are often swept under the carpet. His paintings offer the chance to observe how both the pain and vibrancy in these women’s lives reflect the transition of Zimbabwe into a contemporary city and its subsequent conflicts with tradition. From the clashing of moral codes to economic strain, both of which turn children into adults all too soon. Mundopa presents people without adornment or judgment: mothers and prostitutes, caregivers and breadwinners, the beautiful and the ugly, the selfish and the glutinous. His exceptional talents as a draughtsman reveal a masterful ease to his paintings, stencil collages and spray-paint works. His works have been collected and exhibited internationally in Hong Kong, Kenya, Australia, France, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
Wycliffe Mundopa, 'Lullaby', 2014, Oil on canvas, 90 x 120 cm, Courtesy First Floor Gallery