CH artist gets first solo show
Opening Friday, Sept. 6, at 5 p.m., Pinwheel Gallery presents KUMESO, a solo show of artwork by Cleveland Heights artist Sylvia Munodawafa. The show will be on view through Sept. 27.
Kumeso is the word for face in Shona, the language of Munodawafa’s country of origin, Zimbabwe. The artist’s abstract paintings and multimedia sculptures celebrate identity and connection, bridging the past with the present, and the personal with the universal.
Munodawafa explores materials and techniques at her studio at Artful Cleveland. She is skilled with acrylic paint, and willing to experiment with different paints, techniques and surfaces.
Heights Arts named her one of its Emergent 2024 artists. She also has displayed her work at Negative Space Gallery, was a part of the SheArt show at Deep Roots Experience, and has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. This is Munodawafa's first solo show.
Munodawafa’s recent exploration into African spirituality and tradition is reflected in the show’s sculpted and painted masks, for which she has drawn inspiration from the rich cultural landscapes of Africa. The masks and mask paintings capture the essence of ancestral wisdom and of contemporary expression.
Through her abstract paintings, Munodawafa invites the viewer to come with her on a journey into the vibrant tapestry of her heritage and imagination. Using her skills as a painter and sculptor, she introduces the viewers to the dynamic energy and diversity found throughout the African continent through bright colors and patterns. She creates a world where abstraction and tradition coalesce, and where every stroke and curve carries a narrative of beauty, strength, and the enduring spirit of ancient cultures.
Pinwheel Gallery (www.pinwheelgallery.com) is located at 2019 Broadview Road in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood. For more information, send an e-mail to information@pinwheelgallery.com or call 216-220-7858.
Sarah Raban
Sarah Raban is an artist and gallerist who owns Pinwheel Gallery, a fine art gallery in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland that specializes in showing works by emerging and mid-career artists.