Notes

Exhibited as part of Zimbabwean-born artist Kudzanai Chiurai’s first solo exhibition Dying to be Men, this photograph questions conventional ways of representing political figures. Untitled (III) serves as a precursor of the carefully constructed and detailed environments for which Chiurai has become well-known. He treats the physical space of the office similarly to the male bodies in this series: dressing and adorning the office with signs and symbols that speak profoundly on issues of political corruption, masculinity, and power. The third in a series of three photographs, Untitled (III) depicts the office following the unseen protagonist’s mid-afternoon departure. Ashtrays filled with extinguished cigarettes, and a partially consumed decanter of liquor, are the only indicators of his attendance (and possibly his only accomplishments). Chiurai holds a BAFA from the University of Pretoria and was the recipient of the 2012 FNB Art Prize. His work is included in numerous collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Pigozzi Collection, Geneva.

Provenance

Donated by the artist