Tafadzwa Tega (b. 1985) is a Zimbabwean painter born in Harare and based in Cape Town, South Africa. Raised in an artistic family, he studied at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe before moving to South Africa in 2008. His experience of migration became central to his practice, inspiring portraits that explore the challenges of building a new life while maintaining a connection to home. Artist biography

His work has been presented by Everard Read in South Africa, JD Malat Gallery in London and Mimmo Scognamiglio in Milan. His 2022 exhibition Rwendo, meaning “journey,” was organised by JD Malat Gallery in collaboration with Africa First. His paintings are held in collections including the University of Cape Town, Spier Arts Trust, the Leridon Collection and Fundación AMMA in Mexico. Exhibition and collection history, Fundación AMMA

Working from live models and photographs, Tega portrays friends, strangers and fellow migrants in vivid, carefully staged compositions. His subjects adopt confident, sometimes theatrical poses, asserting their dignity and ambitions amid uncertainty. Bright colours, expressive clothing and richly patterned backgrounds convey the lives they hope to build, alongside the difficulties they face. These portraits acknowledge displacement while celebrating the determination to preserve pride, joy and a sense of belonging.

A recurring motif is zumbani, a plant associated with traditional remedies and domestic care in Zimbabwe. Its leaves form decorative patterns that surround the figures, carrying memories of home into their new surroundings. For Tega, this imagery acts as a symbolic source of protection and a reminder of the family relationships and cultural knowledge that migration cannot erase. Pattern becomes a bearer of memory, connecting individual portraits to shared experiences of departure, adaptation and hope. JD Malat Gallery