MWEDZI: An ancestral song cycle with Hodder Fellow Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa

Marcus Zvinavashe and Nyasha Jeche are the founders of CaliGraph, a mural-creation company whose goal is to use shared spaces to tell stories of history, culture, and traditions. When speaking to GQ South Africa, Zvinavashe said of the group’s art, “For us, one of our aims is to effectively communicate with people during and after the mural is put up…Our goal is to encourage people and the community to have conversations, for kids to start asking questions, and to encourage understanding.” Though the group has created over a hundred murals in Zimbabwe and Zambia touching on many different themes including #GirlPower, CaliGraph rose to fame during the COVID 19 pandemic as it took to public spaces to paint murals featuring local celebrities encouraging people to follow precautions such as wearing a mask and social distancing. Zvinavashe and Jeche met while attending Chinhoyi University in Zimbabwe, and after graduating they created CaliGraph as a way to make their own artistic opportunities. CaliGraph has collaborated with brands such as British Council, GOAL Zimbabwe, the British Embassy, Paper Bag Africa, and the National Gallery in Bulawayo, among others.

Ulenni Okandlovu is a musician, digital storyteller, and the creative director of Skeyi and Strobo, a multifaceted studio dedicated to archiving, showcasing, and telling Zimbabwe’s untold contemporary stories through film, fashion, and photography. Skeyi and Strobo works closely with CaliGraph to document and film the process of creating each mural. Additionally, Skeyi and Strobo hosts an annual Fabrik Party in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe, which brings together a group of young innovators, tastemakers, stylists, and forward thinkers to discuss, network, and create. As a musician, Okandlovu is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the experimental music duo BantuSpaceships. He also released a solo album in 2021, The Last King of Matabeleland.