Raymond Fuyana, At Mathendele, 2023

“A World Unheard” is the first ever solo exhibition of Raymond Fuyana (Zimbabwe, b. 1995). Through his paintings, the self-taught artist creates a world where past, present, and future collide. With his unique combination of realism and surrealism, Fuyana’s beautiful dreamscapes take you on a journey through his personal experience as a deaf artist.

“I have a lot of emotions I need to pour out; my thoughts, dreams, what I see, I need to express all that in my art.”

In his extraordinary paintings, Fuyana positions himself as an observer of the alternative reality he shapes in his imagination. The artist invites us to look over his shoulder and step into his surrealistic visions. Both alienating as familiar, Fuyana’s phantasmal spaces draw us into his world. The distinct shapes and colors are speaking loud and clear. The painter ingeniously contrasts interior and exterior spaces, while deconstructing their boundaries. Fuyana combines elements of classical architecture and interiors with dreamy African landscapes. In between realms, the artist maneuvers between village and city life, while he has found his home in art. Each painting tells a personal story with a vivid color palette and intricate details filled with symbolism. Through his art, Fuyana explores his memories, experiences, and dreams.

“I create a world of different perspectives. As a deaf person, my experience of the world and the hearing community can be seen in the work I make. I create dreamlike landscape to express my feelings and mood.”

With ever-present greenery Fuyana raises awareness of the importance of the fragile ecosystem we inhabit and our pressing need to conserve it. Gravity-defying objects address his optimistic visions of a better future where new technologies will advance our lives. His 21st century idiom recalls the enigmatic compositions of the Belgian artist René Magritte (1898-1967), while the amorphous colorful shapes could populate the molten universe of the French surrealist painter Yves Tanguy (1900-1955), and the architectural elements and vistas remind of the estranged cityscapes of Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978). Last year’s Venice Biennale put surrealism back on the forefront by highlighting both past and contemporary artists whose work address man’s connection to the universe, nature, technology, and the world of dreams. With his unique sense of imagination, originating from the complex emotions and experiences of living with a hearing impairment, Fuyana creates a captivating new take on the genre.

Raymond Fuyana was born in 1995 in Zimbabwe. He moved to Johannesburg, South Africa in 2009 where he attended St Vincent School for the Deaf in Rosebank. He then joined the Saturday Portfolio Development at Artist Proof Studio in 2015 and enrolled for the full-time program for 3 years training in printmaking. Fuyana participated in a group exhibition ‘Pierneef Interpreted’ organized by Strauss and Co. and exhibited at Turbine Art Fair in 2017 and 2018, when he won 1st prize in the printmaking category in the Strauss & Co Irma Stern Still Life Competition. Raymond Fuyana is represented by South-African gallery Guns & Rain and was part of their 2021 annual “Fresh Voices” show. His oil paintings have been shown at Art Joburg (2022) and as part of African Galleries Now (2022) on Artsy. His compelling artworks were selected for a special Artsy campaign at public transport stations in New York, Boston, Washington DC, San Francisco and Miami in April 2022. With “A World Unheard” Duende Art Projects is proud to present Fuyana’s debut in Europe.

RAYMOND FUYANA: A WORLD UNHEARD

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