Kudzanai ChiuraiTo Walk Barefoot , 2020
Kudzanai Chiurai’s practice engages a revisionist strategy to confront and disrupt what he refers to as “colonial futures,” embedding counter-histories that address the omissions and distortions of the colonial archive. His work offers a renewed lens through which to view visual culture in Africa, contributing to decolonial discourse by foregrounding political realities, social complexity, and the voices historically pushed to the margins.
‘To Walk Barefoot’ exemplifies Chiurai’s use of painting as a tool for critical reflection, questioning the lingering structures of colonial power and their influence on contemporary African experience. Through expressive figuration and carefully orchestrated symbolism, the work examines how inherited systems – whether political, cultural, or spiritual – continue to shape life in the postcolonial present. Rather than reproducing accepted historical narratives, Chiurai’s painting challenges their authority, creating space for alternative ways of seeing, knowing, and remembering.
