Born in 1994 in Zimbabwe. He lives and works in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The body and the narrative are at the heart of Epheas Maposa’s work: bodies that are half human, half animal, with very marked lines, evolving in surrealist and baroque worlds. Each work delivers a narrative on the thread, mixing in an assumed dreamlike vein, drawn details and colourist motifs. A prolific narrator, he uses the distortion of bodies and spaces to create disillusioned tales that testify to the breakdown of Zimbabwe’s social and political structure.
Epheas Maposa is self-taught. Drawing in the street, his first source of inspiration, he joined Village Unhu in 2013 where he was able to benefit from spaces and equipment to work and develop under Misheck Masamvu and alongside other artists in the collective.
Since 2014 he exhibits at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, as well as at the Gallery Delta. In 2017, 2018, and 2020 he participated at the FNB Joburg art fair and Investec Cape Town art fair. Maposa has also participated in several residency programs between Johannesburg and Harare. In 2019, he was awarded the second prize of the Emerging painting pan African art prize.
In 2020 and 2021, the 31 PROJECT gallery presents his work at the Art Paris Art Fair and 1-54 Paris - Christie’s. In November 2021 he participated in the group show “Self addressed” at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery in Los Angeles, curated by Kehinde Wiley.
CURRICULUM VITAE
SOLO SHOWS
2021
Smiles of clay, 31 PROJECT, Paris – FR
1-54, 31 PROJECT, Paris – FR
2020
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Village Unhu, Cape Town – SA
GROUP SHOWS
2022
KIAF, 31 PROJECT, Seoul - KR
ARCO, 31 PROJECT, Lisbon - PT
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Village Unhu, Cape Town – SA
2021
Self-Adressed, Jeffrey Deitch gallery, commissaire Kehinde Whiley,
Los Angeles - USA
Collective amnesia, Montague Contemporary, New York City – USA
AKAA, 31 PROJECT, Paris – FR
2020
SMALL, 31 PROJECT, Paris – FR
Art Paris Art Fair, 31 PROJECT, Paris – FR
When you master your seat and you can get out, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
Group exhibition, Gallery Delta, Harare, ZI
2019
We are here Pamasonga, 31 PROJECT, Paris – FR
Sanity is expensive, but madness is for free, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
We move forward by looking back, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
2018
Wild Geese Exhibition, Harare – ZI
ICTAF Cape Town Art Fair, Village Unhu, Cape Town – SA
100Hundred, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
2017
The Annual Young Artist Exhibitions, Gallery Delta, Harare - ZI
Group Exhibitions, Gallery Delta, Harare – ZI
FNB Johannesburg Art Fair, Johannesburg – SA
2016
The Annual Young Artist Exhibitions, Gallery Delta, Harare – ZI
Surface=Drawing, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
Jumping borders, Village Unhu, Harare, ZI and Eyethu Gallery, Soweto – SA
2015
The Annual Young Artist Exhibition, Gallery Delta, Harare – ZI
Dama – Left or Right, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
Line to Form, Gallery Delta, Harare – ZI
Sold Out, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
Migration, Gallery Delta, Harare – ZI
Orgees, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
100Hundred, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
2014
Young Artist Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare – ZI
The Annual Young Artist Exhibition, Gallery Delta, Harare – ZI
Way Finding, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
Hope Exhibition, Hope Shop, Harare – ZI
AWARDS
2019
Emerging Painting Invitation Pan African art prize – EAAGA, Harare – ZI
2016
Artists Residency Studio Award, Village Unhu, Harare – ZI
RESIDENCIES
2016
Pro Helvetia Residency program Harare/Soweto, Johannesburg – SA
Village Unhu Programme de résidence et d'échange, ZI / UK
WITH 31 PROJECT
EXPOSITIONS
2021
Smiles of Clay, solo show, Paris - FR
2020
SMALL, group show, Paris - FR
We are here Pamasonga, group show, Paris - FR
FOIRES
2022
KIAF, group show, Seoul - KR
ARCO, group show, Lisbon - PT
2021
AKAA, group show, Paris - FR
1-54, solo show, Paris - FR
2020
Art Paris Art Fair, group show, Paris - FR