Norval Foundation

Tanda rima

Portia Zvavahera

Harare-based artist Portia Zvavahera is internationally recognised for her deeply expressive, rhythmic paintings that move fluidly between the physical and spiritual worlds. Drawing on dreams, memories and lived experience, her richly layered works are infused with colour, symbolism and emotional intensity.

The exhibition’s title, Tanda rima, translates loosely from Shona as “Chase away the darkness”, building on the artist’s 2023 Cape Town exhibition Pane rima rakakomba (“There’s too much darkness”). Rooted in the language in which Zvavahera lives, thinks and dreams, the exhibition presents an intimate and deeply personal narrative shaped by themes of motherhood, care, spirituality and transition.

The exhibition includes three new works, among them Gamuchirai minamato (“Receive my prayer”), depicting figures gathered in communal prayer beneath a tree, and Nzimbo tsvene (“A holy place”), which introduces angelic figures guiding souls toward divine sanctuary. Inspired by prayers for the artist’s grandmother, these works express a longing for protection, peaceful passage and spiritual illumination. Throughout the exhibition, a recurring luminous tree motif reinforces themes of sanctuary, hope and transcendence.

Curated by Tayla Hollamby, Tanda rima invites viewers into a contemplative space where personal experience, spiritual belief and collective memory converge through Zvavahera’s distinctive visual language.