RESERVOIR will make its debut at THE ARMORY SHOW in New York this September with a solo presentation by Zimbabwean painter Richard Mudariki (b. 1985).

 

Find us at booth P39

Vernissage 04 September (by Invitation)
05 - 07 September, 2025
 

Javits Centre

429 11th Ave, New York, NY 10001

USA​​

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Known for his bold, satirical paintings that use pastiche and historical reference to critique power, corruption, and contemporary realities, Mudariki has, over the past four years, developed a poignant new body of work: The Great Bantu Migration.

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This ongoing series of small to medium-sized paintings documents the movement of over 2.5 million Zimbabweans from their country to South Africa, a phenomenon Mudariki regards as one of the most significant modern migrations. The project’s genesis lies in the tragic humanitarian crisis that unfolded at the Beitbridge border post during December 2020 and January 2021. Traditionally a time when Zimbabwean immigrants return home for the festive season, the border became a site of congestion and chaos exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic—resulting in loss of life and drawing international attention.

 

Inspired by Jacob Lawrence’s (1917–2000) landmark ‘Migration Series’ (1940–41), a set of 60 panels which depicted the mass relocation of African Americans from the South to the North during World War I, Mudariki reimagines Lawrence’s visual language within the Southern African context. His series captures the hopes, struggles, and profound economic, social, and political impacts of Zimbabwean migration, while drawing poignant parallels to other histories of displacement.

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Presented in New York, the project takes on added resonance: in a climate where debates around migration and national identity remain urgent, Mudariki’s works become a timely meditation on the human costs of movement across borders. The series functions as both tribute and transformation, bridging African and African American histories while illuminating the challenges of migration in the present day.