Moffat Takadiwa
Say Hello to English
Tyburn Gallery
26 Barrett St, London W1U 1BG
March 17 – May 6, 2017
Reception: March 16, 6-8:30 pm

March 17, Tyburn Gallery opens Say Hello to English, a solo exhibition of work by Moffat Takadiwa. Takadiwa, born in Karoi, Zimbabwe and now based in Harare, produces wall sculptures and installations incorporating found materials. His intricate constructions include spray-can debris, bottle tops, and computer keyboard pieces, among other things. The title of the exhibition refers to the idea that Zimbabweans, and Africans more broadly, have needed to learn colonial languages in order to become educated and successful. Inspired by the work of Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the artist explores the relationship between language and cultural dominance. The sculptures Takadiwa presents in Say Hello to English are in line with current movements towards the decolonialization of African academia, movements which have involved the burning down of libraries and destruction of statues; correspondingly, the artist and his assistants have disassembled thousands of keyboards left over from the colonial administration, using the pieces to create new narratives and structures.
 

Judging by Language, 2017. Computer keys, 230 x 185 x 30 centimeters. Copyright the artist. Courtesy of Tyburn Gallery.