You are the first laureate of the Villa N’Zuo residency, in Abidjan. What motivated you to apply, and what did you expect from the experience?
I’m from Zimbabwe, and I rarely get the chance to visit other African countries. So when the opportunity to apply for Villa N’Zuo came, I felt it was a chance not just to travel but to immerse myself in another African context. I wanted to experience the people, the vibes, the art scene, and how other artists live and work.
At the same time, I was in a reflective phase of my practice. I usually create first and then listen to what the work demands. Right now, the work is telling me to absorb as much content as possible, to let my surroundings influence it. I wondered: if I produced work outside Zimbabwe, would it look or feel different? That curiosity was my biggest motivation. 

Can you tell us about the project you developed during your residency?
The project began before I arrived in Abidjan, as my process is quite intense and I like to start early. But being here opened new layers. I was fascinated by the city’s nightlife. Parties often start around 11 p.m. and go on until the morning—that was a totally different rhythm than what I’m used to. Experiencing Abidjan after dark gave me a new perspective on how societies organize time and energy. I was also struck by Banco National Park, with its dense greenery and colors. Moving between that environment and the busy city center created a dialogue that shaped the textures in my work.

Your practice often weaves narratives that combine the personal with the socio-political. How did Côte d’Ivoire’s context inspire you?
It felt refreshing to be in a country that isn’t mine. In Zimbabwe, there’s always a sense of turmoil in the background. Here, I found calm. Abidjan is visibly developing—construction everywhere, which gives a sense of expansion to life in the city. Back home, change is much slower. That contrast gave me inner peace and allowed me to approach my work differently, from a place of openness that was different from a certain urgency.

Following the residency, you will present your first solo exhibition in Côte d’Ivoire Leave the Door Open at GALERIE FARAH FAKHRI, from 5 December 2025 to 9 January 2026 at the Farah Fakhri Gallery. What do you hope to convey? 

I hope people experience the work rather than look for a fixed message. Abidjan is vibrant, celebratory, textural: I want visitors to feel that. One piece explores the link between the spiritual and physical. I used flowers to represent cycles of generations, and the influence of the past on the future. Being African means having a particular relationship to spirituality, including traditions that predate organized religions. I wanted to tap into that.

Another work plays with food and imagination. Before coming, I imagined Alloco here would taste exotic, but when I tried it, it felt familiar. That tension led me to create a surreal piece: a cake being feasted on by frogs, with something hidden under the plate. It’s about how expectations and reality collide, and how imagination reshapes experience.

Find out more about the exhibition

How will this residency influence your career going forward?
I’ve already started applying what I learned. Archiving is now part of my practice: I’m keeping a collection of materials to watch how they evolve over time. That’s changing how I think about memory in my work. More than that, Abidjan gave me a sense of home. I made strong friendships and connected with a community of artists. Being abroad, sharing and exchanging knowledge, reminded me of the value of networks and collective growth. I carry that energy into the next steps of my career.