Percy Manyonga

Percy Manyonga is an established, mid-career Zimbabwean contemporary artist whose dynamic practice spans over two decades of intense material experimentation and deep philosophical introspection. Born in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East, and trained at the prestigious National Gallery BAT Visual Arts Studios in Harare, Manyonga has consistently challenged traditional parameters of painting and drawing. His versatile practice moves fluidly between the personal, cultural, and sociopolitical, rejecting stylistic monotony to ensure his creative language remains unexpected and constantly evolving. Historically, Manyonga’s practice has been defined by a frenetic yet playful engagement with abstraction and semi-abstract figurative work. In his earlier mixed-media paintings, he utilized a monochromatic palette, splashes of ink, and fractured lines to obscure and camouflage recurring motifs, such as hands and crosses, alongside distorted figures. These intricate layers of paint, charcoal, and found objects often address the complexities of the human condition, confronting topics ranging from his personal rural heritage as a cattle herder to heavy national narratives like the psychological tensions of political voting processes. In his recent practice, Manyonga has undergone a dramatic physical and thematic shift toward non-traditional materials, moving away from pure paint and towards a unique concept of drawing with form. Centered around textile art and material confessions, his latest solo exhibitions such as Becoming Myself at Harare's Loft 3 Gallery, it showcases a profound embrace of string, sewing thread, hessian, wire, and fabric stitched onto board. Channeling Jungian psychology and concepts of self-discovery, each deliberate weave and stitch becomes a tactile language of memory, resilience, and identity. Ultimately, Manyonga’s artistic practice positions him as a pioneering architect of composition, balancing structure and freedom to dig the viewer's conscious mind.