ADAM AND STEVE JOINED BY THE KNEE.

By Nii B. Andrews.

The work of the Zimbabwean artist, Kudzani-Violet Hwami, has over the last several years earned high accolades.

She represented her country at the Venice Biennale in 2019; she was aged only 26.

Since then Hwami has had successful solo exhibitions in London and is now represented by Victoria Miro.

Her work will feature in a group exhibition at the Pompidou Center in Paris later this year.

Helene Love-Allotey, specialist in Modern and Contemporary African Art at Bonhams, commented: “Hwami is one of the most exciting young artists around right now.”

Hwami addresses controversial topics in her work; desire, sexuality and identity.

Currently, in my part of the world, these issues have opened the flood gates for vociferous and belligerent assertions not backed by an iota of evidence.

It has led to high officials using language that is beneath the dignity of their office.

Whether this is due to plain, stark ignorance or poor education or mis/dis information or unbridled malice is difficult to ascertain.

Hwami though, has shown a propensity to handle these issues in a witty manner while often throwing fresh light on them.

ADAM AND STEVE JOINED BY THE KNEE: Kudzani-Violet Hwami, oil on paper, 151 x 200 cm, signed and dated and inscribed verso. Private collection. [ lot #22, Modern and CAA Auction, Bonhams, London; March 17 2021. Estimate USD 42 – 69K]

In her monumental oil painting ADAM AND STEVE,Β  the composition reveals an intimacy – perhaps even a fecundity (trap alert, careful!) accentuated by the potted plants and the single fallen tendril in the foreground.

Both figures are seated and clad only in identical blue shorts.

The bodies look distorted or yes, queer!

One figure looks directly at the viewer; is he defiant? The other figure appears totally focused on his companion.

They are joined at their adjacent kneecaps. Did someone somewhere in Africa say that secrets are best kept in the kneecap?

Or is the painting indicative of the different facets of an individual personality kept as a secret in the knee cap?

Hwami states, “I spent a lot of time on the internet as a pre-teen and, in that socially awkward stage of my life, I found it more comfortable to escape and exist in cyberspace. I started exploring sexuality and gender identity.

I was obsessed with the idea of physically living in a different body. All my frustration and confusion was expressed through studying the queer body.”

This Hwami painting should encourage all of us to be more reflective and measured in our pronouncements and assertions, thus refraining from denying anyone their human rights or weaponizing laws by criminalizing differences in gender identity.

That is certainly not an educated nor enlightened approach, or is it; is that the best we are capable of?

We can accept the “long, lonely hours of the night with absolute assurance that the heavy loaded moments must bring the morning.”

I remain fully aligned with the position of Scribonius Largus (c. 1-c. 50), the court physician to the Roman emperor Claudius:

“…unless [physicians] hearts are full of mercy (misericordia) and humanity (humanitas) … they are rightly hated by all the gods and men …… medicine truly promises her assistance in equal measure to all …….for she judges men neither by their fortune or their character”.

Or whether they are joined at/by the knee…or Nii!!

5 thoughts on “ADAM AND STEVE JOINED BY THE KNEE.”

  1. ‘.. Or whether they are joined at/by the knee … or Nii .’
    Lovely pun on the word to sum it all upπŸ˜ƒπŸ‘πŸΏπŸ‘πŸΏπŸ‘πŸΏ

  2. .. Or whether they are joined at/by the knee … or Nii .’
    Lovely pun on the word to sum it all upπŸ˜ƒπŸ‘πŸΏπŸ‘πŸΏπŸ‘πŸΏ

  3. Unfortunately many readers will miss the pun simply because they don’t speak the ga language.Till then my valuable thoughts will be stored in my knee.πŸ˜‚

  4. Your post goes to over 300 people on different platforms. The art works are unique.

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