“Lotus”
For Tamary Kudita, photography is a vehicle for honoring people’s histories and cultural expressions. In her images, models don opulent garments that speak to the creativity and perseverance of Zimbabwe’s people, many of who have had their culture and histories buried by colonization.
“Zimbabweans are resilient by nature, which informs my visual language and the themes I tackle,” Kudita tells My Modern Met.
From a conceptual perspective, she was drawn to photography by the idea of being an author. “Being able to see the beauty in the ordinary and translating that into a visual language that speaks to people really captivated me,” she shares. “From a technical standpoint, I was intrigued by the science of painting with light and capturing fleeting moments we sometimes take for granted. These elements ultimately shaped my artistic career.”
Her series, African Victorian, grew from a desire to recognize the lived truth of others. “I create suggestive worlds by placing clues about their lives and their sometimes-invented characters into the compositions,” Kudita says. “Through these fantastical portraits, I attempt to create a new literature that borrows from the artistic thought and practice of both Romanticism and Realism.
In the same way Romanticism took a metaphorical approach to art while Realism took a literal one, I portray everyday people from contemporary life in Zimbabwe, as well as larger than life heroes who exist in history.”
One of the most eye-catching elements in her photography is the outfits worn by her models, which are charged with symbolism. “The garments embody layers of significance, from their conception in the pattern-making stage to the way they are stitched together,” she shares.
Kudita works hand in hand with her designer to create the intricate designs. “My garments thus embody the idea of a future-facing image of the female identity, previously ignored but now becoming highly visible.”
By putting her heritage at the forefront, she has developed a unique visual language. “Being a Zimbabwean photographer has taught me that we have the power to reinterpret the meaning of life through a new lens,” Kudita says. “By creating a new understanding of life and existence, photography can be a social vehicle that shifts perceptions and changes in society.”
Ultimately, Kudita hopes her work will inspire viewers will be inspired to rethink photography as a medium. “I believe that photography oscillates between the documentary and the artistic: on the one hand, it is a snapshot of reality; on the other hand, it is an aestheticized construction of reality, or a metaphor,” she says. “Let’s start listening to the photographs themselves. Who are these people we see? What stories do they hold? Imagine their world, their dreams. Photography tends to trick us into thinking we know everything just by looking. Digging past that first layer of narrative and looking at what else is revealed in those images.”
For Tamary Kudita, photography is a to vehicle for honoring people’s histories and cultural expressions.
“Liberty”
In her images, models don opulent garments that speak to the creativity and perseverance of the people of Zimbabwe.
“Thoughts of a Black Man”
“Zimbabweans are resilient by nature which informs my visual language and the themes I tackle,” Kudita tells My Modern Met.
“Hair Tales”
One of the most eye-catching elements in her photography is the symbolically charged outfits worn by her models.
“The Gathering”
Her series African Victorian began as a way to desire to recognize the lived truth of others.
“Body as an Archive”
“Through these fantastical portraits, I attempt to create a new literature which borrows from the artistic thought and practice of both romanticism and realism.”
“Vessel”
“My garments thus embody the idea of a future-facing image of the female identity, previously ignored but now becoming highly visible.”
“African Victorian II”
By putting her heritage at the forefront, she has developed a unique visual language.
“African Victorian”
“Being a Zimbabwean photographer has taught me that we have the power to reinterpret the meaning of life through a new lens,” Kudita says.
“Lady with Corn”
Tamary Kudita: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Tamary Kudita.
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