Tatenda Chidora (b.1988) was born in Zimbabwe and is based in South Africa. He is a commercial, fine art and fashion photographer whose contemporary style is representative of the global movement hailed as ‘new African photography’. Chiodora studied photography at the Tshwane University of Technology and graduated with a BTech in 2015.
Chidora is driven by creating a more diverse picture of the theme he explores and is inspired by the stories and faces of the African metropolis. His striking visuals, often shot from new and unexpected angles, make heroes of his subjects. At the core of his practice is light; a marathon runner, he studies light from the road in the early mornings and evenings and is moved by the way it cuts curves into a face or a landscape. In turn, he commands natural light or studio lighting to paint black skin luminous.
There’s a richness of tone in his work, whether it’s shot in colour or in black and white. Working between genres keeps Tatenda Chidora nimble and versatile, allowing him to bring a fine art sensibility to his fashion photography and an editorial edge to his portraiture, thereby championing unconventional beauty. His subjects are often people he meets on the street and finds interesting, the opportunity to engage with a subject is where his deep love for making portraits stems from.
Chidora’s artworks exist in a universe of vivid colors and deep contrasts held together by the forces of nature and love. Guided by this idea, Tatenda’s photography remains contemporary as he keeps finding new ways to put the individual in a broader context – such as the covid 19 pandemic. His striking visuals, often shot from new and unexpected angles make heroes of his subjects.
His photos balance on the verge of the unreal while not abandoning reality. The viewer is left with an assurance that whoever or whatever he’s looking at – even if it feels like a dream – is actually real. It is in this way that the artist can unfold all of the layers to reality.
Tatenda Chidora has exhibited at FNB Art Joburg, Pretoria Art Museum, NO End Contemporary, Semaphore Galery, Switzerland as well as at the University of Stellenbosch Museum Art. He has also exhibited at Addis Foto Fest and at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (Afrikaans for Little Karoo National Arts Festival), usually abbreviated to KKNK.
