Mavis Tauzeni explores the role of women in society in her first solo exhibition at the First Floor Gallery, which started on Thursday, June 11, 2015.
Eight painted canvases tell a story that investigates the role, dreams, and perceptions of a woman in this world.
Mavis’ semi-abstract pieces give one the impression of someone yearning to be heard; of someone craving the attention of those around her.
“It is only the physicality that makes us (women) different from men, not capabilities. We are also able to do the things that men do,” said Tauzeni.
In one of her pieces, ‘She is a he, He is a she,’ she expresses that women can do whatever men can do. This image reminds us of the famous American photographer, Cindy Sherman, who also investigated issues of sexuality and feminism in her work.
“This exhibition is an expression of the way I see the world. I can see the man bringing home the bacon and the woman bringing the whole pig,” she added.
A portrait which she named ‘Tears of a woman’ expresses the face of a woman who is crying for attention, desperately wanting to be heard. She is perceived as the inferior part of life; the one who is always last and from whom nothing useful can come.
‘Kana Ndikadai’ is a painting that shows a woman’s legs in motion as she investigates and explores her potential in this man’s world. The message is that a woman is able to do and become anything in this world, only after conquering the barriers that surround her.
It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, but Tauzeni’s paintings say even more than that, and to understand her perceptions and feelings, one must see this exhibition.
