By Dr Tony Monda

AS we have just commemorated our heroes and heroines this month, marking 34 years of independence, I would like to examine some of the visual imagery that was created in relation to our liberation struggle, our heroes and the war of independence which culminated in the hosting of our new Zimbabwean flag on April 18 1980.
While the war of liberation raged, many Zimbabwean artistes fought their battles in song, on the stage, in literary works, orature and visual arts.
The songs buoyed the freedom fighters, the writing stirred the minds, the banned plays touched the hearts of many who saw them and Radio Zimbabwe – the voice of Zimbabwe prompted many others to join the liberation movement.
The struggle was immortalised in stone, wood, metal, canvas and paper by the visual artistes of this country.
However, while the visual arts were less visible and confrontational, they still served as a pertinent and living record of our war of independence and were bravely shown in post-war Zimbabwe in the early 1980s.
The war years were exceptionally hard for the sculptors.
Many abandoned their art and returned to more usual subsistence agrarian activities; many were unable to work in the rural areas as these became increasingly dangerous.
Lacking the system of support and encouragement some artists struggled in isolation, only to re-emerge as confident talents post-1980.
It is important to note that many of the artworks created in response to the liberation struggle were authentic creative impulses of the artistes who experienced the war first-hand.
The worries of promotion, monies, competition, acclaim and social recognition did not interfere with the content that the visual artists of that time (1973 – 1980), created.
Their art was indeed the result of genuine expression wrought out of personal experiences, the need for psychological catharsis, and a deliberate consciousness of national pride and patriotism.
The artistes produced images of war that examined and explored the broader human context of life endured during the protracted struggle.
Collectively, the artistes explored themes of hope, fear, pain, defiance, despair, isolation, family dislocation and ultimately victory over oppression.
Unlike many other countries involved in political revolutions, Zimbabwean artists were not regimented to produce images of war, nor were they reactionary in their approach.
Theirs was a silent and sometimes painful personal revolution stemming from a collective consciousness, but largely devoid of a ready audience.
Although the National Gallery of Zimbabwe opened its doors in 1957 as the Rhodes National Gallery, it was not until 1986 that many of the first examples of artworks depicting images of our struggle were seen and acknowledged publicly during the Zimbabwean Heritage Visual Art Exhibitions, a trend which continued until the late 1990s.
Some of the finest artistic talent of this country was showcased six years after independence, during the hosting of the 8th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Harare from August 26 to September 7 1986.
The artworks on display during the summit exalted the ‘blood and soil’ values of nationalism and liberation.
This art did not spring from literary or academic institutions, but grew out of an already vibrant, artistic cultural tradition of sculpting, painting, orature and music. Surprisingly, visual art from the liberation struggle is not filled with corrosive or provocative manifestoes or overt images of political strife.
The art was essentially a response to the effects, trauma and the painful struggle undertaken by our gallant freedom fighters, their stalwart families and vigilant collaborators.
The fact that these war images did not become part of mainstream popular culture in Zimbabwe, as was the case in many neighbouring countries, is proof that it was a genuine expression not asphyxiated by commerce or profit.
Prior to our 32nd Independence Celebrations of 2012, I examined the need for an archival artistic museum to document the liberation struggle in both visual and motion picture.
Serious documentation, preservation of our art, is required. It is an investment for posterity and an important facet and knowledge base of our national cultural heritage.
The visual, literary and performing artistes made forceful statements concerning our social developments, environmental surroundings and cultural inheritance, further enriching the nation’s cultural heritage and tangible visual culture.
As such Zimbabwean national events should have a strong cultural component that exhibits, discusses and celebrates the arts as an expression of unity in cultural diversity.
Let us build and unite Zimbabwe through arts and culture.
Dr. Tony Monda holds a PhD. in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, musician, art critic, practicing artist and Corporate Image Consultant.
Send feedback through e-mail to: tonymhonda@gmail.com