ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Vincentio Phiri was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1956 and began
painting
after moving to Zambia in 1973. Phiri is an abstract
expressionist artist whose
particular style of action painting has been termed “VP
Concepts”. Phiri works
with a palette knife and a diverse, mostly bright colour scheme,
creating the
dynamic strokes that have become his signature style, on a
prepared canvas.
His preferred method of painting is on the ground, on
non-stretched canvas,
allowing him greater freedom of movement in the image. However,
this method
isn’t fixed, as he also works on stretched canvases positioned
on a painter’s
easel. The ‘sharp and focusing’ observant viewer can recognize
these two
different techniques.
Viewing Vincentio Phiri’s paintings requires a certain way of
observation
altogether. First of all, it is advisable to let go of your
presumptions, on what
a painting “should look like” and that the paintings you are
about to see are
hyper-realistic samples of life or village scenes. They are not.
They are expressions
of emotions visualised by colour, movement, texture and
composition.
Also, let go of the idea that you have to “like them all” or a
painting should
resemble aspects of life. Art, in the guest curators mind, can
be anything the
artists chooses. And there is always something to see and learn,
if not today,
maybe tomorrow. Art should not be about sheer aesthetics any
more, but also
about concept, progression and inventions in the context of
modern society.
Some may think Phiri always applies the same painting technique.
However, if
you take time to observe properly, it is easy to spot the
differences between the
paintings in colour, structure, movement and layers. Another
misconception
about Phiri’s work is that the technique is “easy to copy”,
often expressed as:
“maybe my kid can do the same thing”.
ARTIST - CURATOR RELATIONSHIP:
Vincentio Phiri and the guest curator Camiel van Lenteren have
build a close
relationship over the last two years and thus have brought you
this exhibition
on smells, emotions, visual art and poetry in close cooperation
with Modzi Arts.
In February and March last year, Phiri did a live painting
session at East Park
Mall which was a joint project with “exhibition concept
designer” Camiel van
Lenteren. The current solo exhibition at Modzi Arts is their
third joint project.
Van Lenteren describes Phiri’s work as “visual expressions of
deep human
feelings, philosophical thoughts and heavy emotions”. Phiri
cites human nature,
and all that he sees, feels and experiences as his influences.
His works
are meant to evoke emotion and he paints with the goal of
creating images that
speak to both him and the viewer. In his words he uses “colour
and form” in
order “to create a visually stimulating experience.”
CONCEPT:
This exhibition explores the emotional power of colour, shape,
texture and
smell by combining Phiri’s works with scents. Scent is one of the
most powerful
catalysts for memory, and as with art, our unconscious
associations are very
personal. The combination of visual art and scent is meant to
create a powerful
sensory experience that will be unique for each visitor. Phiri’s
works are not
restricted to a single interpretation.
The exhibition consists of four rooms. Each room contains four
paintings and a
scent. We invite you to walk through the exhibition and see what
emotions and
feelings arise from your unconscious mind.
The four scents and the corresponding paintings were selected by
Camiel van
Lenteren. The emotions he associates with the images and the
scents are not
necessarily the same as Phiri’s. Likewise, the emotions will be
different for
each viewer. The four chosen scents, ashes, coffee, sawdust and
Zambian soil,
are not meant to offer a complete emotional landscape but rather
to guide the
audience through an immersive experience of the collected
paintings.
MODZI ART GALLERY:
Modzi Arts is a new art and culture space in Zambia, promoting
access to arts,
with a particular focus on African / Zambian contemporary art.
As the main
curator of the space we look to collaborate with other curators
in order to share
a different view and artistic expression as of Van Lenteren. We
have chosen to
work with Vincentio Phiri being an international recognized
artist, having a
good and long understanding of the art business, as well as
having a great eye
and technique within his professional borders. We are pleased to
work with
him as an artist.
INTERACTIVE PIECE:
Critique and comments are fine, and sometimes hard to contradict
because
taste is personal. But At this exhibition you have the
opportunity to express
your own feelings with paint, pallet knives and a canvas, here
supplied for
you in this exhibition space. These are the same tools and
materials used by
Vincentio Phiri and we ask you to take a pallet knife and try on
a small piece
of the canvas the technique you think he uses. Look at the
colours, the painted
structures and the movements in his art before you start.
PLEASE NOTE: Don’t use the whole canvas, as we would like lots
of people
to be able to try Phiri’s technique. On the closing day of the
exhibition,
Vincentio Phiri will finalize this painting and use your trials
as an inspiration.
COLOPHON:
Artist: Vincentio Phiri
Guest Curator: Camiel van Lenteren
Exhibition Text: Camiel van Lenteren /
Jess Stewart /
Julia Taonga Kaseka / Elke Praagman
Text Advice & Editing: Jess Stewart /
Marcel van Driel
Graphic Design & Advice: Ghazala
Caratella
Exhibition Concept & Design: Camiel
van Lenteren
Exhibition Builders: Richard Chombu /
Marcel van Driel / Scotty Zepplin /
Andrew Lungu / Camiel van Lenteren /
Glenn Banda
ENHLA KOMQONQO
THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND
