Zonda Uzalema

Alex Suse Chishimba, "Zonda Uzalema", 2025, Oil on canvas, 35.4 x 23.6 in. (90 x 60cm)

(Alex, 29, is a refreshing evolution from the works produced by the masters of Zambia's art scene in the 1970s and '80s. In fact, Alex still receives mentorship from one of the legends of this era, but his work goes further and is appropriately suited for modern tastes. Alex's work is witty, playful yet acerbic, in critiquing the folly, tragedy, and comedy of human existence; our unrelenting pursuit for community, love, belonging and success, occasionally leads to outcomes less than desirable: ostracisation, embarrassment, isolation, failure. Yet despite the potential outcomes and throughout the various states of achievement and disappointment, his paintings aim to capture brief moments of such momentous complexity.)