Micha Serraf
CHIPOKO (Series)
DESCRIPTION
I hail from Zimbabwe, where generations of my family were born. Fleeing to South Africa with my family at the age of almost 10, I found myself in landscapes still unfamiliar to me. Despite this, I recognize that I am the outsider here. Navigating these new surroundings, we struggle to find safety and meaning. ‘Chipoko,’ the Shona word for the soul, breath, or spirit, is embodied in each sculpture of this series. These artworks represent my attempt to visually articulate an inherent sense of deep, drifting nostalgia—an evocation of my ancestry for guidance and belonging. Robust, towering, and enigmatic: they are reminiscent of visits from my maternal lineage. Each sculpture is a uniquely designed totem, evident in their African-inspired shapes, simplicity, structure, and the shadows they cast—tranquil imagery amid hostile environments. This body of work serves as both documentation and the final expression of a physical performance. As part of this performance, I conceived and installed six 3-meter high wooden totemic sculptures of various forms on highly restricted South African military bases—a performance exploring themes of safety, Afrophobia, African land, access, belonging, and connection.
AUTHOR
2020:
– Named one of Foam Magazine’s Top 20 Global Emerging Artists
– Received the Best Single Image award at the International Pride Photo Competition
– Exhibited in New York and London with VSCO
Upcoming:
– Exhibition in London, May 2020
– Exhibition in Berlin, September 2020
– Exhibition in Paris, November 2020