Bag Factory presents ‘Rabbit hole runs deep’, a solo exhibition by Tawanda Takura comprising mixed-media, found object, sculpture and painting. Takura’s first solo presentation in South Africa follows his Cassirer Welz Award win. ‘Rabbit hole runs deep’ explores the complex co-existence of dualities like freedom and dependence; novelty and recurrence; destiny and accountability; disillusionment and hope; the self and the collective; censorship and expression; as well as memory and healing. Central to Takura’s work is a critique on social hierarchy, he laments the unkept promise of freedom post-independence and how this has given way to corruption and stagnation. ‘Rabbit hole runs deep’ reveals the artist’s thoughts about the realities of contemporary Zimbabwe, reflecting on the ways socio-political dynamics exert a profound influence on personal and collective identities.
Tumultuous times such as Apartheid South Africa and Chimurenga in Takura’s home country of Zimbabwe call for rehabilitation and cleansing rituals for the resetting and reconditioning of the mind, the spirit and the physical. When you go to war and engage in such a terrible ordeal, you are forced to deny yourself and become something else in order to combat your opponents. You have to be a thief to catch a thief and then after the battle is done, you are integrated back into the community. This is the shape-shifting process of becoming human again. Takura’s practice features a recurring engagement with symbols of faith, signaling an ongoing search for meaning beyond the material world. This does not make spirituality an escape but a parallel force that offers both solace and confrontation with uncomfortable truths.
Takura’s choice of materials are reclaimed wood, shoes and metals, all of which are found objects that have lived multiple lives. Through these materials he emphasises themes of recurrence and reclamation and highlights the cyclical nature of power and oppression. Just as these materials carry histories of their own, Takura’s works channel stories of resistance and resilience within systems that perpetuate inequality.
In this new body of work, Takura explores collage painting and introduces new symbolic motifs, underscoring his evolving critique. The mute symbol appearing across various works speaks to the suppression of voices which are represented by the tongues of shoes stitched together to form inanimate choirs. Hand carved chess pieces reflect the artist’s view of individuals as trapped in a game of hierarchy, war and strategic manipulation. Through its layered compositions and sharp visual metaphors, ‘Rabbit hole runs deep’ critiques the failures of leadership and governance, presenting a stark but nuanced vision of a nation still grappling with its colonial legacy. The exhibition opened on the 5th of October and will be opened until the 8th November 2024 at Big Factory Artists Studios at 10 Mahlathini Street Newtown Johannesburg, South Africa.
