Resumé
select satellite exhibitions...
1999
Upon the exclusive invitation from Raphel Chikukwa, (MA, Curating Contemporary Design, Kingston University, London) the Executive Director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Nya′ held his first exhibition at the Harare International Festival of The Arts (H.I.F.A).
His work was displayed contiguously to the work of prominent African contemporary artists who represented the country and Africa at the 2011 Venice Biennale, to wit, Berry Bickle, Tapfuma Gutsa and Calvin Dondo.
2005
Leslie Powell, an illustrious American art curator, critic and consultant invited Nya′ to be part of a prestigious exhibition honoring the first democratically elected female African President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, in Harlem, New York.
His painting, “Custodians of Inheritance,” now part of the Asake Bomani-Glover private collection (New York, USA), served as the preeminent piece of the private exhibition, which also featured the rare and venerated work of American masters, to wit, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis and Danny Simmons.
2006
Nya′ was accorded the distinguished privilege of exhibiting at the 10th anniversary of the National Black Fine Arts Show (NBFAS) held at the historic Puck Building in Manhattan, New York. Extolled as an August event displaying premium work of revered African contemporary artists, Nya’s mixed media work, “Mburuchusi,” was selected to appear in the exhibition catalog.
2007
The prime exhibition wing at the Black Arts Fine Art Show (BFAS) in New York was exclusively reserved for showcasing the work of “the young African contemporary artist.” Two of his paintings, “The Babylonian Shepherd” and “Ushe Madzoro” graced the exhibition’s catalogue, with the latter, simultaneously acquired by the acclaimed author and African contemporary art investor Khephra Burns and the notable American editor, writer, and journalist Susan L. Taylor, (Editor in Chief, Essence Magazine, 1981 – 2000).
2008
For the third year in a row, Colours Fine Arts, Inc, one of the prominent galleries at the National Black Arts Fine Art Show (NBFAS) in New York displayed the work of the unorthodox African contemporary artist. However, unlike his previously exhibited work, which was predominantly taken from his series, “Voices of the Earth” in 2008, powerful pieces from his series entitled “Divine Inspiration” were also included.
Nya’s work was displayed together with the works of accomplished artists like Barbara Chase-Riboud, Issa Khone Diop, Allan Rohan Crite, Samuel Countee, Henry O. Tanner, John Biggers and Antonio Carreño and Benny Andrews.
His work “Spiritual Purifiers” was chosen to appear in the highly coveted exhibition catalogue alongside the works of the American master-painter Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence.
select solo exhibitions...
2001
Nya’ held his inaugural solo exhibition entitled “Index of Perpetuality” at Sugarloaf Estate in Harare, Zimbabwe. The vanguard stately residence, designed by one of Africa’s leading architects, Vernon Benele Mwamuka (1956 – 2001) became the exclusive gallery entrusted to represent his work in Africa to selected collectors. The Founder and Director of Matombo Gallery, Roy Cook served as the consulting curator and the exhibition received commendation from revered mavens in African Contemporary Art, to wit, Doreen Sibanda (former director of The National Gallery of Zimbabwe) and David Tapuwa Hatendi, the revered African contemporary Art Patron, entrepreneur and Banker, (1953 – 2012).
2002
“Streams today, Rivers tomorrow,” a collection of paintings selected from the African contemporary artist’s collection was acquired by a distinguished consortium of African contemporary art investors before the opening night of the exhibition. It featured one of his considerable paintings to date, a massive 48 feet by 18 feet diptych entitled “Field of Dreamers.”
2004
Nya′ held his New York premier exhibition entitled “Journey to My Roots” at Gelabert Studios Gallery. The exhibition was co-sponsored by Musa Capital Advisors, a preeminent merchant banking firm (South Africa and New York) specializing in private equity investing, property development, structured finance and investment banking. The meritorious collection, consummated in 1260 days received accolades from several art critics, including the illustrious former Editor in Chief of Rolling Stones Magazine, and now the Managing Editor and Publisher of Gallery and Studio Magazine, Ed McCormick.
2005
Nya’ held an exhibition entitled “Language of Faith” in Manhattan, New York. The highly anticipated exhibition, hosted by Uptown Movie Network, a movie distribution channel headed by the notable private investor/media entertainment entrepreneur and African art investor and collector, Judith Aidoo (Caswell Capital Partners, LLC, Caswell Communications, Inc.) Proceeds from the exhibition went to the “Wall Street to Hollywood Fund,” an organization founded by Miss Aidoo to grant scholarships to deserving African immigrants.
2006
Dr. Michael Jones, a leading aesthetic surgeon and the Founder and Director of Lexington Plastic Surgeons, together with his wife, Emmy Award-winning Journalist Cathleen Trigg-Jones hosted a private exhibition for the African contemporary artist entitled “Aura of Desire.” The celebrity-studded private exhibition received accolades from distinguished guests, to wit, Michael Rosenfeld, (Founder and Director of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery), Will Downing, (Grammy Award Nominee, American Singer-Songwriter and Producer), Nickolas Ashford (1941 – 2011) and Valerie Simpson – Ashford and Simpson- (Songwriters, Producers and Recording Artists) among others.
2008
Nya′ held an exhibition entitled “Vowels of Faith.” The exhibition featured key works that poignantly enunciate the foundational themes in his work, namely faith, vision and purpose.
2010
The African contemporary artist celebrated his sixth exhibition at Seed Gallery, New York entitled “A Letter to Immortal Souls.” The didactic body of works visually articulated the paramountcy of redemption over the quandary of fear which, according to Nya′ “extradites Man to conformity and impugns the preponderance of “faith” - which, without, life is debased to a mere social experiment.
2013
Nya’ held his ninth exhibition at Seed Gallery, New York entitled “Package of Salvation.” Anchored in the three principles of faith, purpose, and vision, the paintings possessed a depth sought for, but rarely achieved by many artists. The five large-scale canvases, meticulously displayed in a Zen-like setting, were a brilliant representation of the artist’s depth of ideas and magnitude of vision.
Incisions, resembling the tribal marks of the Donqolawi and Shaiqiya people from the Manasir tribe in Sudan were subtly noticeable within the sculptured paintings. These minimalistic marks, engraved onto his surface with surgeon-like precision, combined with imperceptible motifs from ceremonial Shields of the Mwami Society of the Rega (Lega) region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and coded Scriptural references and engraved verses from the Old Testament alluded to the conceptual similarities between the Kingdom of God, Jewish history and Africa’s rich history of kingdoms and blood covenants.
2014
Nya’s exhibition entitled “He hides His perfect gifts in flawed vessels so that evil Man won’t see,” officially opened at Seed Gallery on November 4.
Continuing his exploration into the words, faith, vision, and purpose, the five works displayed in a zen-like setting expressed the preeminence of “work” and “words” in fulfilling vision.
In two of the works on display, “Redeemer of Dreams” and “Genesis of Eternity,” the artist employed remnants of found objects on the ground of his compositions to allude to both the power of ‘work’ as well as the Grace of the granter of the gift of work, particularly His ability to revive broken dreams, restore shattered hope and resurrect buried visions.
2016
“Destiny of Words,” held at Seed Gallery in December 2016 whispered the profound power of words, which the artist describes as “the principle of life.”
In the only work in the exhibition from his “Above the Horizon” series entitled “Victims of Faith,” Nya’ skillfully narrates and unconventionally arrays congenital African mythology in a dignified manner that intently captures the essence without being predictable, pretentious, simplistic, or jarringly obvious.
Evoking the vibrancy of the work of American colorist, Piet Mondrian, the fluidity of line of the German Maestro, Paul Klee, the two dominating figures in the foreground, composed of cut out paper and frozen in a jubilant dance highlight the victory of faith over fear, good over evil, and Light over darkness.
2018
“Father: The abiding paragon of eternal Mentorship” held at Seed Gallery in September 2018 explicated the core meaning of the word, “Father” by tracing its authentic foundation and root meaning.
In undoubtedly the most important work in the exhibition, “Blueprint of Grace,” Nya’ employed droplets of lamp’s blood mixed with deep crimson hues to partially blanket the raised words on the foreground of the picture plane to represent the sacrificial love of an omnipotent Father who had already designed a plan to bring His beloved children back into His immeasurable inheritance long before they transgressed and declared independence.
The Father, whose forgiving nature and supreme deity, as portrayed by the snow white and variant shades of gold enveloping the canvas is a paragon of eternal purity.
select studio exhibitions...
2020
A private exhibition of select x-rays of Nya’s work, “Heir of Inheritance” was held at the artist studio in September 2020.
The exhibition entitled “In every gift resides the turbine to a world of dominion” was coupled with the launch and recital of the artist’s book, “A true leader manifests dominion,” in which seventeen of the x-rays are featured.
The complex drawings on display, referred to as x-rays by the artist, grant the viewer a prodigious opportunity to penetrate into the soul of “Heir of Inheritance” and explore what the artist was seeing in his mind’s eye as he was conceiving the massive mixed media masterpiece due for completion in 2025.
In the main x-ray on display, which was also employed for the book cover, “heir of inheritance. x-ray 76” the artist exposes the intrinsic nature of every gift. Foremost, the inherent leadership spirit divinely granted to every human being as the vehicle to express the inexplicable wonders hidden in his or her gift.
2021
A private exhibition showcasing select x-rays of Nya’s work, “Heir of Inheritance” was held on Friday, December 8, 2021 at the artist studio in New York.
The exhibition entitled “Where true identity resides, faith abides and destiny is preserved” was coupled with the launch and recital of select chapters from his book, “The perfect sample of a true leader,” in which thirteen of the x-rays are featured.
In the main drawing in the exhibition, “heir of inheritance. x-ray 98,” Nya’ covered an immaculate pencil and charcoal rendered figure with keen Scriptures and coded references to highlight key characteristic of the Spirit of faith.
2022
“Preparation sets a gift on the path to influence” a Seed Gallery sponsored private exhibition featuring select x-rays of Nya’s work, “Keeper of Time” was held in March 2022 at the artist studio in New York.
Also accompanying the exhibition was the launch and recital of his book, “A true leader redeems time,” in which ten of the x-rays are also featured.
In the primary x-ray on display, which was also employed for the book cover, “keeper of time. x-ray 6,” Nya continues to explore the theme of leadership, time and purpose by depicting the inseparable bond between a gift, work and the Spirit of leadership.
2023
“In the gift resides the composition of purpose and vision,” a Seed Gallery-sponsored private exhibition showcasing a selection of x-rays of Nya’s work, “Restoration of Zion,” was held in January 2023 at the artist's studio in New York.
The astonishingly marvelous and labyrinthine drawings on display, which the artist defines as x-rays, are a keen window into the anatomy of “Restoration of Zion.”
Also accompanying the exhibition was the launch and recital of select excerpts from his fifth book published and edited by Seed Gallery, “A true leader abides in praise and worship,” in which ten of the x-rays of “Restoration of Zion” are also featured.
select private collections...
AFRICA
Sugarloaf Estate, Harare, Zimbabwe
Francis Daniels Private Collection, Johannesburg, South Africa
AMERICA
Lisa and George Canon Estate, Vermont, New York, U.S.A
The Fahad Private Collection, Sacramento, California, U.S.A
Kendrick and Mashea Ashton Private Collection, Dumbo, New York, U.S.A
Khephra Burns and Susan L. Taylor Private Collection, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A
Dr. Michael Jones and Cathleen Trigg-Jones Private Collection, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A
Asake-Bomani Glover Public and Private Art Collection, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A
EUROPE
The Akerele collection, London, England
select corporate collections...
AFRICA
Masawara Contemporary Art Private Collection, Zimbabwe
Musa Capital Contemporary Art Private Collection, Johannesburg, South Africa
AMERICA
Burrell Realty Private Collection, Chicago, U.S.A
Orange Capital Partners Private Collection, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A
For a full inventory of group and exhibitions, commissions, work(s) in private, corporate and public collections, please contact the gallery.
